Divine
by Kyubi88
Summary: A year into his training away from Konoha, Naruto stumbles onto someone whose thought to only exist within myths and legends. A Divine Goddess of Future? Goddess First Class, Category Two with Unlimited License? What's going on here? Slight OOC.
1. Wrong Number?

Disclaimer: I do not own Oh! My Goddess or Naruto. They both belong to their respective owners, Fujishima Kosuke, and Kishimoto.

Hm… did I get their name right? I wonder…

------------------------------------------------

**Divine**

------------------------------------------------

Wrong Number?

------------------------------------------------

"_Hello?"_

It had been a typical evening for Uzumaki Naruto – training for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and then some more. Jiraiya was _such_ a slave driver… almost up there at the levels which Naruto had seen Gai and Lee perform back in Konoha, no sweat. While Jiraiya was a very lazy and perverted hermit who stole Naruto's life-savings every now and then (_cough,_ make that every _week)_, he was a perfectionist when concerning with Naruto's training – if Naruto failed to match up to his expectations the first time, then he was blessed with double the amount of work he had before the second time around. Albeit such a method brought out the colorfully linguistic side of Naruto, it did pay off very well nonetheless regardless of Naruto's foul comments. The resulting reward was one of astounding growth; it had only been a year since he had left Konoha with this ero-sennin on this trip, and already Naruto had doubled in chakra capacity and power! In response, Naruto only gave a shit-eating fox smirk whenever he thought of how strong he might become after the two remaining years have passed. _I'll be so awesome, so that Sasuke-bastard will eat my dust and everyone will see how powerful I am! Heheh, I can't wait._ Needless to say, Naruto was very respectful (surprisingly) as well as thankful in many aspects whether he showed it or not, and in return Naruto had become somewhat of a prized student to Jiraiya now – a student with capacity to match the Yondaime in spades. Although…

At times like _now,_ when he had just pushed his body through the limits of hell itself, Naruto could not help but to curse at whatever kami that decided it was O.K. to make his life hell, and also at his mentor for putting him up to such hellish method. _Who the hell came up with the idea of hopping _one legged_ up and down the cliff with a fucking _boulder_ strapped to their backs! Damn…_

It wouldn't have been half as bad… if he hadn't had to repeat the exercise on each limb 100 times in a row. _Fuck you, stupid Sannin. And fuck you too, kami._

Almost dead from the extreme-training-course-which-will-be-the-death-of-him-someday, Naruto had stumbled back into the small Inn which the traveling pair had stayed for the past two months. When a particularly painful sensation ran through his taxed legs, all Naruto wanted from the world was a hot, steamy bath… but alas, since when had the world ever listen to his wishes?

Never, that's when.

He had breathed a deep, shuddering sigh as pain slightly intensified as he walked up the stairs into his room, wishing nothing more than to just… make the pain go away. _I really want to kill that bastard hermit… making ME run while he's sitting around and loitering with his freaking 'novel'! Why I oughta just burn that piece of shit and stick it to his face just for kicks._ That brought up another spontaneous thought in the young blond. _Say, where is that pervert?_ _Oh well,_ Naruto could careless about what his guardian did at night – in fact; he did _not_ want to know. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good for the sanity of the mind. Despite having had two perverted teachers in the past, Naruto had not sunk to their level… yet. _Something I can actually thank the kami, for once._

Naruto's random train of thought continued on as he dragged his tired body into his room, his unconsciousness guiding the young blond's body towards the center of comfort. Although, despite having his gut-feeling or what some people may refer to as the 'sixth-sense' being shot through the roof in comparison to what he had before, Naruto had no premonitions about events that were about to take place in this very room. Life altering events, to say the least… and yet Naruto remained clueless as ever.

Or maybe it wasn't that Naruto was unprepared for the weird events that were about to take place, but it was the fact that event itself came in a package of normalcy which people wouldn't spare a glance twice at; a telephone.

Yes, everything started with a single phone.

Naruto, being the unskilled cook he is, decided he should order take-out for his famished belly – _after_ a _hot_ shower, of course. His muscles needed the utmost relaxation right now, and that was number-one priority. After a 10-minute of heavenly relaxation inside the tub, Naruto climbed out reluctantly with only a towel around his waist, and slowly dragged his somewhat-refreshed body out into the open of the cool air of the main room of the inn. _Hmm, I'm thirsty, _he thought with a sense of detachment, absently noting that the sun had already gone down. He briefly wondered if his sensei was going to want some dinner when he came back from wherever he was – but discarded the thought as briefly as it popped up. _Whatever. It's not like I'm gonna wait for that pervert to come home – he's probably stuffing his stomach right now! Geez…what a pig. Gahh, I'm hungry already_. Naruto absently picked up a Magazine which was piled up on the sofa, and started looking for some good take-out he could devour. _Hmm, Chinese sounds good… or maybe sushi? _Naruto stiffened at the name. He had had a bad oyster, which made him go to bathroom for _months, _with Jiraiya laughing at him all the way throughHe had no wish for a repeat of that incident. _My stomach still hurts from that oyster. Ok, Chinese it is._

Naruto lazily laid his body across the sofa, content at having some comfort for his sore muscles, and decided that he was too lazy to walk all the way across to the other side of the room, where the phone sat innocently. _I guess it's time for some chakra-exercise. _Mentally grinning, Naruto flicked his right index finger at the receiver, his chakra shooting out as he did so. This was a poor imitation of Kankuro's genuine Kugutsu no Jutsu, the Puppet Technique, but it got the job done – Naruto utilized it mainly to snatch objects at a distance, rather than to control. While Naruto's aim was impeccable (since all you had to do was point your fingers), he still wasn't very good at maintaining a steady connection – presumably because of his unstable chakra control. _Bleh. It's still good for snatching back my wallet from the bastard, so who am I to complain?_

With a slightly audible _snap,_ the chakra string connected – then as if on que, Naruto reeled his chakra back like a skilled fisherman. _Hook, line and sinker. _Naruto briefly wondered if that was the correct saying, before he faced the phone which was on direct collision course with his head. _Stay on task._ Naruto now flicked his left pinky at the receiver, snatching it in mid-air and pulling it into his hands. _And ladies and gentlemen, Uzumaki Naruto has succeeded._ He mentally bowed to his invisible audiences, taking in all the glory like a statue made of gold. _Oh yeah, I'm cool._

Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, the ancient evil snorted.

With a satisfied smirk, Naruto proceeded to happily dial the number to "_The Blue Rooster",_ already salivating at the proposition of a meal. _I want some pork chop… chow mein sounds good too. Yeah, let's get both. Too bad none of them serve ramen though – I would give anything for a pork ramen right about now._ His mind completely focused on his meal, Naruto patiently waited for the line to connect all the while mulling over what he should eat. _Ah, there you go._

"Ah, Hi. This is room 202 of the Iwagaki Inn, and I'd like some chow mei-"

"_Hello, you have reached the Goddess Technical Help Line!"_

------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin wandered about the streets of Iwagaki aimlessly, looking for… research materials. _Hmph, I rightfully deserve this at least – I spent all day training that brat!_ His conscious gnawed in his mind at that thought, screaming "You left him there to die!" which was promptly smothered ruthlessly with frightening ease. After all, Jiraiya's moral conscious was not much to look at; for over 50 years, it had endured cruel beating from Jiraiya's cruel mental beating in efforts to shut it up for all eternity. Unfortunately for Jiraiya, it held on, though by now it was no more than a mere whisper in the wind in the vast moral perversity in which Jiraiya thrived.

Walking along, his keen eyes absorbed every details about the streets – people's clothing, shop signs, etc etc… but most importantly above all, _women._ Fat women, short women, slender women, so and so forth… the list went on. Inwardly, Jiraiya's perverted persona decided to stick out its ugly head into the world, gracing the mankind (or in this case, the _wo_mankind) with its perverted presence. Not surprisingly, his lips stretched into what could only be described as 'creepy'; Jiraiya apparently did not care for public appearances. _Of course not. Why? Because I am the Great Frog Hermit of the Mount Myouboku! Gahahahah!_ Luckily for the general public, he kept his thoughts inside his head.

Then uncharacteristically, a brief worry came over him as the thought of his current student entered his mind. Usually, Jiraiya did not worry (or care) about Naruto's health, since he knew for a fact that the boy was more than resilient enough to withstand anything thrown at him – thanks to his special tenant, as well as the boy's surprisingly patient nature for hard work.

But tonight, something seemed amiss.

_I wonder what it is?_ Jiraiya was a person who weighed much on his personal gut feelings, as they were usually correct. His combat ability also relied much on his gut feelings, for he was a seasoned warrior who became stronger as his instincts and intuitions were honed with his battle field experience. So naturally, Jiraiya was not too quick to dismiss his spontaneous concern over his charge. After all, there must have been a reason for his worry, right? _Well, I guess while climbing a cliff one-legged with a boulder strapped to his back is enough to warrant some worry. Should I go and check on him?_ That's when he was graced with the presence of a beautiful albino lady, wrapped in purple kimono laced with sakura petals, her exotic blue eyes winking at him in a flirtatious manner. Almost immediately, his concern for his young apprentice evaporated like a snowball in hell.

_Heheheh, I wonder what her name is…_

------------------------------------------------

_What the hell?_

Naruto stared at the phone as if it had spat on his face. Did she just say '_Goddess Technical Help'? What the heck is that?_ Then Naruto noticed that the person on the other line was still speaking.

"…_We will be there in just a moment to grant your Access Request. Please hold for a moment-"_

Naruto decided it was a good idea to cut off whoever was on the other line. "Oh I'm sorry; I think I've dialed the wrong number. Good day." _Click._ He pushed the End button, effectively cutting off the conversation. _Goddess technical help? Is that something for the air conditioner? Bleh, I bet it was one of those telemarketers. Bah… Oh well, I tried to be polite._ That was another thing. Even if he didn't like it, Naruto learned the art of etiquette during his travels along the town – mostly out of pure necessity, seeing that his boisterous and hyperactive attitude warranted more problems than both Jiraiya and Naruto needed.

Plus, it was a life-saver when women from the bath house tried to put off Naruto as a pervert right along with the old hermit. That was _totally_ unacceptable. _I ain't gonna be beaten for something that pervert did – no way in hell!_ Momentarily pushing that thought aside, he sighed as his stomach grumbled in unhappiness. _Shit, I still didn't order my chow mein… gah, stupid telemarketers._ Determined to get a take out, Naruto flipped through the book again, looking for another suitable restaurant to call.

That's when he heard the weirdest noise of all.

Swirling noise of wind suddenly rushed out of the bathroom, howling in its path until it was met with Naruto's bewildered face. _What now…?_ Somebody had just _appeared _in that bathroom… Naruto felt it. Could it be an intruder? Perhaps an assassin? Such possibilities were slim, but not all that impossible. _Can it be the Akatsuki…? Impossible, Jiraiya said they would not be mobile until two years later._ But then again, who guaranteed the validity of Jiraiya's information? He could have been misled, or maybe both Naruto and Jiraiya were walking right into an intricate plan that was all laid out even before Naruto knew of their existence. _Well, whatever it is… what the hell is it doing in the bathroom?_

The last thing Naruto expected was an indignant squeal, accompanied by a loud crash.

"Eeeeek! Why is the floor so wet!"

_What the fuck?_

Now dumbfounded, Naruto slowly reached for his weapon pouch and took out a kunai, and an explosion tag. _One can never be too careful._ Then with a cautious step, he stealthily moved towards the entrance of the bathroom, while holding onto the hem of the towel to keep it from falling off of his waist. _What the heck is going on…?_

Then from the darkness of the bathroom, a girl emerged.

_No, a woman, _he corrected. With flowing midnight hair which glistened under the soft glow of the lamp, the woman possessed an unearthly aura of holiness – it was as if she were an angel incarnated. Her clothing were exotic, a kind which Naruto had never seen before in his life. She appeared to stand a good 3 inch taller than him, yet she still held childish quality about her. The woman's eyes shone in orange-ish brown light, dancing with annoyance and pain from her apparent fall. But the most prominent feature about her was the circular markings on her forehead and next to her eyes, not unlike the whisker like- birth marks he himself possessed on his cheeks. _Who…?_

Then Naruto almost burst laughing right there and then, seeing a huge bump protruding from her head. Her expression one of slight anger and annoyance, she glared at the snickering blond for a moment before blushing slightly and turning away, noticing his lack of clothing. Naruto noticed almost the same time as she did, and he hastily jumped behind the sofa for cover. Trying to cover his embarrassment, Naruto yelled "Who the heck are you!" over his shoulder, peaking over the rim of the sofa at this girl who had appeared out of nowhere.

At this, the strange woman broke out into a radiant smile.

"Ah, good evening!" She slightly rubbed the bump on her head, wincing slightly as she did so, but she never lost her smile. "My apologies for not introducing myself sooner. I am," The woman swirled her exotic clothing in an exuberant manner, bowing slightly as she did so. "Skuld, Goddess First Class, Category Two with Unlimited License! Nice to meet you, Uzumaki Naruto!"

At this, Naruto stared at her as if she had sprouted wings and proclaimed herself the next Orochimaru.

When she received no response other than the deer-in-the-headlight stare, the woman who introduced herself as Skuld puffed up her cheek slightly, but soon regained her beautiful smile. She then took out a card from somewhere within her clothes, and then walked over to the sofa where the young blond was still staring at her with something akin to '_What the hell is going on here!'_ written all over his face.

"Here's my card, by the way." Now amused, Skuld placed the card on top of Naruto's urchin hair which slid off his hair and onto the wooden floor.

Finally, after a moment of prolonged silence between them, Naruto choked out a single sentence which accurately summed up all the thoughts which ran through his head since her arrival. "Who the hell are you…?"

Skuld now appeared to be annoyed once more, her eyes rolling upwards. "Didn't I just introduce myself? Geez, I mean, I kind of knew that you were somewhat on the slow side, but this is just too-" Naruto decided he had heard enough. "That's not what I mean, you stupid _onna_!" Skuld twitched at the term. "What the hell were you doing in my bathroom? On top of that, how the hell did you get in here! I didn't even sense you until you were _in_ there… either my senses have dulled to the point of being retarded, or you were in here the whole time… which I highly doubt, in both cases." Here, Naruto paused to take a breath.

The woman's eyes which had developed a tick twitched madly as her slender form trembled, and Naruto palpably _felt_ the anger roll out of her. _Whoa, what'd I say? _Then as if to announce the arrival of a great storm, the weird girl fell to her knees, while her anger dissipated in matter of moments. Only thing left was sadness, which confused Naruto to no end – but he knew one thing, and he also knew that he had to do his best to prevent it from happening. He chanted in his mind, fearful of what may take place in the next moments, _Oh shit oh shit ohshitohshitohshit-_

She sniffed.

The girl fell forward sobbing with sadness, making Naruto groan. Naruto now gripped his head in frustration, frantically wondering what the hell he had done to make her cry. _I didn't do anything, I swear! Why is she crying? _Then miraculously, the girl's sobbing ceased as abruptly as she had started it.

When Skuld lifted her head, she had a fox-grin that was all too familiar to the Jinchuuriki, and said a smug, "Psyche."

Once again, Naruto stood frozen, but this time, _he_ was the one who started trembling. _She dare make a fool of me! The Master of the Pranks? Oh she _will_ get her due…_ At his enraged expression, Skuld's melodious laughter rang out and silenced the teen's rage as if he was doused in a bath water, soothing his mind like a mother's lullaby.

"Sorry, sorry. I just couldn't help it! Besides, you really deserved that one – I mean, you called me _stupid!"_ Skuld said with a genuine laughter, making hand gestures as she went. "You called me, The Great Skuld who governs the Future, stupid! Oh the audacity of mortals, I'll never understand…" She shook her head as if to contemplate upon her favorite past time, which ticked off Naruto for some reason. Then it hit him like a brick – that was a gesture Jiraiya made often, when addressing Naruto's dislike to perversion. Jiraiya would say that he'll never understand why Naruto would want to refuse, and then make that exact same pose. _What the…_

Skuld continued to take the lead in the conversation, speaking as if she hadn't been crying a minute before. "So, Uzumaki Naruto. Like I've mentioned before, I am Skuld, Goddess First class with Unlimited License." Winking at Naruto, Skuld continued with what appeared to be her introductory statement. "I am here by your access request to the Yggdrasil computer, in which I will grant you a wish." She paused as if to make a point. When Naruto opened his mouth to speak of his confusion, Skuld once again stepped in as if she were waiting to cut him off. "One wish and one wish only. And no, none of that wishing for million more wishes; that's cheating." Childishly sticking out her tongue, Skuld playfully blew a raspberry at the blond teen.

Naruto couldn't take the confusion anymore and finally cracked. "What the hell are you talking about? Wishes? Goddesses? Are you _mental_ or something?" He accentuated his point with a gesture of mental insanity with his index finger. Then his attitude quickly turning sympathetic, Naruto asked, "Do you want me to call the hospital for you?"

Skuld calmly waited for the denial stage to pass. _It's the same thing with every human… even Keiichi was like this at first._ "No, I am not mental. And no, you're not mental either. Like I said, I am a Goddess, and I will grant you one wish. It is as simple as that – whatever you wish for, it will come true." With her index finger, she poked Naruto's forehead as if chiding him. She continued, "If you wished for the destruction of the world, it will be done. If you wished for immortality, it will be done. Basically, whatever you want." When Naruto opened his mouth again, Skuld replied before he could speak. "And I'm _still_ not mental. Geez, get it through your head!" With an annoyed wave of her hand, Skuld made an 'hmph' noise. When Naruto tried to speak again, she cut him off _again. _"Yes, if you wished that you were taller, then you will become taller. Do you understand yet?"

This time, Naruto's jaws fell on the floor.

_She read my mind? What is this, a bloodline limit?_ Alarmed, Naruto instinctively held up his forgotten Kunai in a defensive position, while making sure that his towel wasn't falling off. _I keep forgetting about that, dang it. It's embarrassing enough already…_

With a heavy sigh, Skuld slowly walked towards the blond teen. "Calm down, you're not gonna fight with that thing." When Naruto made no gesture to comply with her request, Skuld couldn't help but to exhale an exasperated sigh. _Ohhh, how does Belldandy cope with this kinda thing! _"Look Uzumaki, I'm just here to do business with you, alright? Don't get so worked up about it." Skuld lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender, and Naruto finally lowered his weapon when she had done so.

"…Whatever. I still don't believe you by the way. I mean, I bet there were people before me who you've granted wishes to, and you said you can grant any wish, right? So then, why aren't there immortal people running around, or why isn't the world destroyed already? I bet at least o_ne_ of them would make that kind of a wish." Naruto nodded, satisfied with his logic. At his reasoning, Skuld grinned slightly before she launched into explanation.

"Heh, but you see _little_ Naruto. We do not grant wishes to everyone – only to certain individuals who will not abuse the chance." Skuld smirked when the teen fumed at the emphasized word. No doubt the teen was angry from her provocation – but that was fine with her. _As long as he makes his wish… then I can go home!_ Skuld felt slightly giddy at the prospect of getting this over with as fast as possible.

_I am not little, _Naruto thought with some righteous conviction.

"No, I'm sure you aren't short at all. But what can I call a person who is three inches shorter than I other than _little?_" Skuld's smug insult did not go very well for the blond, as he literally fumed with anger. "Quit doing that! Don't you know that it's im_proper_ to invade other people's thoughts, you stupid _onna!_" With a smug satisfaction, Naruto observed the girl twitch at his name calling.

"You little brat, I'll show you who's improper!"

"Oh yeah? Let's go stupid, I'll take you down!"

Both stood seething at each other, ready to throttle one another at moment's notice. Then, realizing how foolish she must have looked to Kami-sama, Skuld had the decency to blush at her immature behavior. _Oh kami, what the heck am I doing? _Sighing once more, Skuld put her face in her hands with some resignation seeping into her form.

"Okay, just… I did not come here to argue with you," _Brat. _It was on the tip of her tongue, but Skuld managed to bite it off."I came here to grant you… a wish. So, I will do so, and you will get whatever you wish for, and I will go home. Sounds like a deal?" Flashing a tired grin, Skuld walked over to a chair and sat with a bored expression on her face.

Naruto, unsure as to how to respond, just stood there scratching his head. Twisting his features into a scowl, he reluctantly replied. "Uhm… whatever. I can't believe I'm going along with this," Shaking his head in amusement, Naruto bit off the part about Skuld being need to be put in a straight jacket and thrown into an asylum. "…but I will. Just… let me get my clothes." Blushing slightly, Naruto excused himself for a moment as he retreated into his small room, casting a cautious glance at the strange girl who just nodded in response and sat with boredom.

_Hmm, what a weirdo,_ Naruto thought anxiously, curious as to what this beautiful girl with a foul temper had wanted. _There has to be a catch to all this… I wonder what her intensions are._

Zipping up his toned-down version of his old jump suit, Naruto headed back out into the one of the most confusing night of his life.

------------------------------------------------

Belldandy was quite worried.

As she stood on top of her majestic quarter's balconies, Belldandy mused upon past happenings.

It had been almost a few centuries since her time on Earth, in which were the happiest times in her life as a Goddess. _It seems like yesterday when Keiichi and I've met…_ She mused with some sadness, recalling the happier times. Since then, Belldandy and everyone else had returned to Heaven, and thus back to their duties and responsibilities. Unexpectedly, after her experiences on Earth Belldandy was promoted from _Goddess First Class, Category Two_ _with Unlimited License _to _Goddess First Class, Category One with Unlimited License, _which concerned with governing of the Goddess Technical Help Center, or rather, the wish-granting department. Now instead of field work, Belldandy regulated the assignments coming in and taught the inexperienced Goddesses in wish-granting.

Needless to say, it had been quite busy.

But what surprised her more than her promotion was the profession Skuld chose at her stage of maturity, when all of the Goddesses chose a profession in which they will devote their eternity towards.

"_I would like to be a Wish-Granting Goddess, or specifically, in the department of the Goddess Technical Help Center," _Skuld had said boldly in front of the audiences around her. It was during her time of Maturation Ceremony, which was watched by all of the high-elders as well as Kami-sama, who watched over the proceedings. After a moment of silence, one of the high-elders had stood and spoke his disagreement.

"_I believe that Skuld's area of expertise was in the Department of Technology; I think everyone here can attest to that,"_ There were few nod of heads at his mention. He asked Skuld, _"Why the sudden change of interest?"_

At the inquiry, Skuld slightly lowered her eyes, and said _"What I've felt and seen on Earth… is what changed my course. I have seen many sufferings, and I would like to devote myself to the help of sufferings of others."_ At her reply, the high-elder sat with a satisfied nod.

After a moment of silence, the rumbling voice of Kami-sama reverberated throughout the walls of Heaven. _"Your request is accepted, Skuld. Now, you are to be promoted to Goddess First Class, Category Four with Unlimited License. You are now to transfer to the department of Wish-Granting."_

Throughout the proceedings, Belldandy had watched her younger sister with pride, overjoyed that her little sister would choose her heart over her desires. _Skuld always had a beautiful heart. Now her singing is one of the most acclaimed in the Heaven as well._ At this, Belldandy's heart swelled with pride at her sister's accomplishments. _I'm so proud of you Skuld._

From there on, Skuld had worked her way up the ladder, performing with absolute excellence throughout her career.

If so, Belldandy should not be worried, right?

_But this is her first field job as a wish-granter, _Belldandy worried with much concern. _I hope she'll do well…_ Even though Belldandy had decided to give Skuld a relatively easy job, she still couldn't help but to worry. _Ah, that reminds me of _my_ time on Earth…_ Topic of field job brought back memories of Earth once more, along with a person who she held very, very close to her heart. Immediately, her normally bright and cheerful mood dampened.

_Keiichi…_ _oh how I miss you._ Then as if planned, a pallid hand softly grasped her hands sooth her unease. _Holy Bell… thank you very much._ The angel kindly smiled back in return, her angelic wings fluttering in unspoken reply.

Her thoughts returning to her little sister, Belldandy whispered words of encouragement before she slowly turned and returned inside.

------------------------------------------------

Skuld slightly whistled her favorite song, as she waited for her first customer to finish changing.

_I can't believe my rotten luck…_ Skuld grumbled, annoyed that she got such a _brat_ as her first assignment. What was Belldandy thinking, giving her such an annoying person who didn't even remotely seem miserable for her _first_ assignment? The boy seemed fine enough. _Fine indeed, _A slight blush found its place on her cheeks, staining pink over her smooth, pallid skin. _Why don't people wear clothes these days? Even if it's their home, they should at least have some shame._ Skuld wondered why the administration office had chosen this boy as a recipient for Goddess Technical Help.

Since one way or another, the recipients were always lacking something that completes the equation, be it emotional of physical.

The Goddess Technical Help system was there to compliment their lack of completion – if they were worthy of it, of course. The only condition was that recipients had to be pure of heart. But, there was a restriction to this system - the recipient had to choose his or her own wish, which meant that he or she needed to decide what they were lacking for themselves. It was a process designed to flush out the unworthy, and rewarding only the most deserving. The reward can be incalculable, but in the same sense, wrong choice can bring incalculable consequences. Some who made the wrong choice spent the rest of their lives in hollow misery, never to be completed with what compliments their very self.

_But hey, at least they _got _a chance, _Skuld thought defensively.

So if the boy was not lacking, then why was she here? _Hmm, I wonder… is this an issue of his heart?_ Now curious, Skuld sent out her power to sense the blond boy's heart, to peak into his very core and self.

What she found startled her to no end.

There, at the center of the innocent looking teen, was a malevolent crimson core pulsing with destructive dark energy. Its aura darker than blood, the presence emanated by the core chilled Skuld to the bones. _This kind of evil… I haven't seen anything like it before…_ The pulsing energy seemed to exceed even the power of the top ranking Valkyries of the Heaven with frightening ease, and Skuld who stood before the energy felt infinitely dwarfed. Then another startling discovery made its way toward her brain. _T-this is a suppressed form! _The energy was suppressed and it was still exhibiting such phenomenal energy! What could hold such enormous power without self-consummation? The power fascinated Skuld, yet frightening her at the same time. The only energy signature that was remotely similar with the power was Demonic power, but it was still too powerful to be demonic.

_Such horrifying power… what is it doing in the belly of a child?_

So entrapped in her analysis, Skuld did not hear the blond come back outside, and taking out a chair from the table to sit directly across from her.

"Hey, annoying _onna. _So I'm here." Naruto did not miss the expression of concentration on Skuld's face which disappeared as she recognized his presense. _I wonder what she was thinking about... It's not fair, that mind-reading thingy should be two ways!_ Mentally pouting, he waited for the predicted response to his gibe at her, but none came. Instead, Skuld asked in a serious tone, "Why do you have a… demon inside your belly?"

For the second time that day, Naruto froze in horror.

Skuld patiently waited for an answer, her orange eyes boring into the shocked blue eyes of the blond teen. _Tell me, _Skuld's eyes said. _Why?_ Naruto's eyes stared back at her orange eyes, and then replied in a fearful response, _why do you want to know?_

_Because I…_ Skuld's eyes faltered, not being able to find a suitable reason to answer the teen's question. Taking the chance, the blond's eyes averted quickly, his face hidden in the shadows of his blond urchin hair.

"How the hell did you know…?" Naruto growled out, his words laced in disbelief and anger. But his next words were filled with so much hate and resentment, that Skuld shivered at the sheer emotion within the words. "Even more so, why would you _care_, anyway?" Naruto felt bitter inside, knowing that no sane person will come close to him after knowing his secret. "Aren't I just a worthless demon vessel? Are you here to kidnap me or assassinate me?" _They're all the same… that is why it must stay a secret._ He knew he wasn't being fair, but he knew he was right; Iruka-sensei, Jiraiya and Tsunade-baba were the sole exception to his philosophy, yet Naruto did not feel all that encouraged in publicizing his secret to his friends. _Even my comrades will turn their backs on me… what difference does it make? What difference does this _onna_ make? _With much force, Naruto bit out his next words. "Get out." Naruto was fully ready to kick her out, but one action prevented him from doing so.

Skuld had pulled him into a passionate embrace, sobbing softly.

_Why… is she hugging me? Even knowing that I am a Jinchuuriki, she would still touch me?_ Confusion flooded Naruto's mind as he tried to comprehend the meaning of this action. _How can this be? _It did not make sense to Naruto at all – all the accumulated experience throughout his life had shown him the same result with three exceptions. Almost in every single circumstances, Naruto was rejected – whether by the Ninja Society, or by the average citizens, or even by Haruno Sakura, who he had chased after for years. So how was it now, that this weird girl who just popped out of his bathroom today, who declared herself as a Goddess, is able to hug him with such passion, such acceptance? _Who is she…?_

Her soft sobs echoed through out the hotel, as she just held him between her arms, embracing him with all her heart. _Poor soul,_ she cried in her mind. _You have suffered so much… I'm so sorry, Naruto._ Skuld could feel the incomprehensible sadness rolling off of the blond like tidal waves against the bedrocks, and it had saddened her endlessly. _He suffered so much… and yet he still keeps a heart of gold and purity of the soul._ Skuld's tears of sadness rolled down her cheeks, and onto Naruto's back, who sat still in her arms, unmoving. _Who are you? You, who have the heart so warm and soul so pure that puts the very heaven into shame?_

Rain poured outside as silence reigned supreme for the pair.

------------------------------------------------

From the Yggdrasil's Main Chamber, Urd sat with an apprehensive expression on her face as she observed the happenings on the transparent screen.

_So she found out, _Urd logically concluded, as she saw her younger sister embrace the demon vessel. _That boy… is of much importance. If he were to fall into the wrong hands…_ Urd shuddered at the mere suggestion of such possibility. She still had hard time believing that the Kyuubi – the most powerful of the Bijuu – was sealed inside the body of a mere blond teen of mid 14. A wish-Recipient too, no less! The situation was screwed up, needless to say – and Urd did not like any of it.

The Kyuubi was much like an X-factor, an entity that even the Heaven or Hell knew not much about. All the information that they had in the Yggdrasil Main Database, was that the first sightings had been during the beginning of time, when Yggdrasil was first constructed and when system of Heaven and Hell was being stabilized. The Kyuubi had existed along with eight others like it, but they had suddenly disappeared from the face of the universe for unknown reasons shortly after the stabilization of the Yggdrasil and Nifelhelm, almost omnipotent computer systems of Heaven and Hell, respectively.

And then just recently, the Bijuu have made their return.

Urd fought the urge to groan as she recalled the system anomaly which happened about half a century ago.

"_Warning, extreme fluctuations in power detected on Earth: Coordinates X34584 Y09877," _ The Yggdrasil Celestial Computer System rang the emergency alarm, Class S, but apparently the pure data flow was too much for the system to handle and Yggdrasil had ultimately closed down temporarily. Urd clearly remembered the incident… because _she_ was the one who ended up with the responsibility to fix the computer.

Sometimes, Urd wondered if she would get a break if she were gifted with less abilities.

The only compensation for Urd's troubles was Peorth's misfortune - she had been pissed at this information, and was stomping her foot every ten seconds while yelling at everyone and everything that stood in her way. _It was pretty funny I suppose, if it wasn't for the situation._

The extreme power fluctuations that were detected on Earth were confirmed as Bijuu – or rather, the _corporal materialization _of Bijuu. They had basically materialized out of thin air using their supply of almost infinite energy, and then had taken the forms of earthly beasts – Ichibi being a raccoon, Nichibi being a cat, and so and so forth, up until Kyuubi being a fox. No one in Heaven or Hell knew the purpose of their forms, but some speculated that maybe the animals that were nearest to their materialization site were taken as the form of their corporal materialization.

Still, no one had the answer to their sudden appearance. Not even Yggdrasil had an answer for Bijuu's random appearances on Earth, but Yggdrasil _did_ confirm that the Bijuu were traveling in a united pack through a time warp set to the present. Though, since materialization, the Bijuu had taken independent actions which were completely irrelevant towards each other. They just seemed to be wreaking havoc among the living, and the careful balance of power in the world started to shake and crumble under the fluctuation caused by the Bijuu. In response, Heaven and Hell had agreed to co-operate in order to seal the mysterious beings, and by doing so "muffle" the energy fluctuation emanating from the cores of each Bijuu. So both sides sent out their best warriors, cornering the Bijuu starting from the Ichibi and working their way up the number. The method they chose to use was locking them up in physical objects, where they will be held for an indefinite number of years until a better solution surface its head. But physical object couldn't hold a Bijuu with seven tails or more – and thus they were classified as Higher Bijuu for the time being. Unfortunately, there was no solution for the containment of the Higher Bijuu, not even a temporary one – and the mortal world was a sitting duck waiting to be shot point blank.

That was until, some of the humans in the era developed special, different sealing techniques which deviated from the Heavenly or Hellish methods – it incorporated the use of blood and ink, and a sacrifice of a life – in return for the sealing of the intended target. Thus, the final Bijuu – Kyuubi – had been captured and sealed – and that was almost 15 years ago, and the aftermath of that incident was sitting right inside that screen Urd was so intently looking at.

Scratching her chin, Urd fought the urge to frown as she observed the pair, wondering where the boy fits in this vast scenario of the Gods.

_If my intuitions are correct, then the stakes are extremely high – too high of a price to pay if we were to fail… I hope Kami-sama knows what he's doing, for our sake._

Urd cut off the video feedback, and then stretched in her chair. She didn't even try to stifle the yawn that escaped her.

_Time for a nap…………wait. Before that, I need some sake._

------------------------------------------------

R&R would be very much appreciated, thanks. Oh, and before someone asks, Skuld is very sensitive (when she wants to be) to other's emotions when she focuses hard enough – so much so that it affects her mentality tremendously. Yeah.

Ah, and the time line… seems quite confusing, yes? Well, it is set about 200-300 years into the future from Oh! My Goddess time line. The setting is that basically the old world had been decimated by the Bijuu, which appears about 50-100 years from the OH!MG time line. I figured that Konoha can't be more than… about two hundred years old? That's stretching it, I think… so I think it would make sense to say that the Bijuu caused the collapse of the Old world and the Shinobi World is built on top of the Old World. ….yeah.

Anyway, about Skuld's appearance… she has matured much, into what she looks like at the end of Oh!MG TV series, where she grows into an adult from Yggdrasil Malfunction. If you can't imagine that… then go to **www(dot)geocities(dot)com(slash)Tokyo(slash)4324(slash)sku2(dot)jpg**

Ahem, and the story will take place mainly within the Naruto Universe, and not many characters from Oh!MG will make an appearance, other than maybe the three Goddesses themselves, since this _is_ a Naruto FF. haha

Hmm, I hope Bijuu info was correct… Nichibi is supposedly a two tailed cat, right? If not… well, let me know, thanks.

Those who have not yet watched Oh!MG, well. Bear with me here, hahah. I'm working with a half deck, since I've never read much of the Manga. Way to expensive.

So then… things will get interesting. Meheh.

_This story was pre-read or proof-read by none other than myself._


	2. I'm Stuck here!

------------------------------------------------

**Divine**

------------------------------------------------

I'm Stuck here!

------------------------------------------------

_Mmm, is it raining?_

Jiraiya noted absently as he ran his finger over the albino beauty's shoulder, who shivered slightly at his action. She giggled as he did so, her voice charming Jiraiya into a perverted frenzy within his own mind. _This is good material! _He barely contained his glee as he thought of new ideas for his next Icha Icha installment. The albino chuckled, as if she could read Jiraiya's mind. "I've heard a lot about you, Jiraiya-sama." She spoke in a silky tone, her kimono slightly fluttering as she ran her hand across the hermit's large mane. "I'm a _fan_ of your work, you know." This earned an earful of Jiraiya's smile, his boisterous laughter echoing inside the small bar.

Shortly after their unexpected encounter, the 'couple' had gone into a well known local bar named '_Cloud of Euphoria', _intent on having some drinks. Or rather, Jiraiya had been rather intent on drinking some good sake, while the woman had just followed him inside. Both had taken a seat at the far back corner, where lights were slightly dimmed with amethyst colored light which bathed the surrounding area a feeling of strange comfort. Once settled, Jiraiya ordered enough sake to waste him through the week, while his albino companion strangely did not order any sake, but had ordered only a single cup of cold tea.

"Well, I can't say I'm flattered. I _am_ good, aren't I, Sakiyo-san? _Hic!_" Already half drunk, Jiraiya's proud boast elicited a smile from his companion, but if anyone had been under the table they would have noticed her clutching the hem of her kimono hard enough to turn her knuckles white. _My name isn't Sakiyo,_ the albino lady deadpanned in her head, yet said nothing outwardly but wore a forced smile on her face. Of course, oblivious to everything but the woman in front of him, Jiraiya continued his banter. "_Hic! _Erm… since you are a fan… _Hic! …_have you ever read the _'Icha Icha Paradise: Vacation under the Blazing Sun'_? That one's one of my fav'es y'know. _Hic!_"

The albino only smiled back politely in response to his inquiry, yet now there were visible frigid attitude about her posture and her features. _When I said I was a fan of your work, I did _not_ mean your perverted book._

Still ignorant of the visible signs of hostility from the albino beauty, Jiraiya poured himself another glass as he muttered some gibberish under his breath. Taking a deep breath, he let out a sigh right afterwards. His face etched with weariness, he glanced again at his companion. "I guess that's a _no_, huh. Feh, I'm still appalled by the lack of sales on that particular one." In his frustration, Jiraiya downed his full glass of sake in one shot, slamming the cup down when he was done. "I mean, I really poured my heart into that one, you know? _Hic!" _Sighing deeply once again, he sat closer to the albino woman. "I just thought that people would appreciate something from the heart, that's all." Letting out a loud belch, he sighed once more as he mumbled once more. Meanwhile, the albino woman sat with rigid posture, her playfulness now all but gone from her figure. She then lifted her hand in a threatening manner, only to...

…gently pat the old man on the back, while whispering words of comfort. "There, there… Everyone fails once in their life." Her blue eyes held a strange haunted look as she stared off into space, but Jiraiya of course completely missed this in favor of the woman's kindness towards him. _If there is a goddess, then she's it!_

If only Jiraiya could know the irony of his words.

With a touched expression full of gratitude, Jiraiya turned his teary eyes at the albino beauty to give her a lopsided grin filled with sincere happiness. The woman once again smiled, though feeling of frigid detachment did not leave her pallid face; it did not go missed by Jiraiya this time. _Hm. What's up with her? Erm, that brings up another good question; Who is she, anyway?_

In what he considered a good gesture, Jiraiya wrapped his bulky arm around the seemingly frail woman, gently holding her. "Enough about me, good lookin' lady! _Hic!_" Jiraiya then pulled her towards him slowly as if to gauge her response, as to judge whether or not the move he was making was welcomed. Strangely, the woman made no movement to resist, or movements of eagerness, which struck Jiraiya as odd not for the first time this evening. The woman was the epitome of complete neutrality, a puzzling quality which fogged the Jiraiya's sense of judgment. _Something is definitely amiss here. What that may be… only time will tell._ Seeing that he was met with no resistance, Jiraiya pulled the albino woman all the way, now their proximity almost intimate.

With a good natured grin, Jiraiya whispered into her ears, "Let's talk about you."

The woman gave no response as she sipped her green tea carefully within Jiraiya's embrace, gracefully allowing the tea to flow into her neck in almost artistic form. _Poetry in motion, _Jiraiya thought with a sense of appreciation. _You don't see a lot of woman like her these days. _The woman then settled the empty cup on the table, and then started playing around with her fingers as she spoke in a quiet, reserved tone.

"I… am the daughter of the mayor Iwagaki." At this information, Jiraiya was startled sober in surprise. _Whoa? What's a high-ranking chick like her doing in this kind of dump? _As if sensing his line of thought, the albino continued her explanation. "You must be wondering what's a girl like me doing out here, right?" She then looked up from her fingers, with sadness clearly written across her blue eyes. "I lost my father."

Jiraiya lowered his eyes at the news, his heart going out to the young albino lady. "I'm very sorry to hear that, Sakiyo-san." The woman shook her head saying, "Don't be sorry." Then standing up from her seat, she looked at the clock. "I'm afraid I must go, Jiraiya-sama. I thank you very much for giving me your time." With a graceful bow, the albino woman turned to walk away.

"Wait!"

Jiraiya's call froze the albino in her tracks, but she did not turn around. She stood still, allowing Jiraiya to stand up as well. He asked, "Is there anything I can do?" At his offer, a sudden mismatching grin blossomed on the albino's pale face, her eyes glinting with delight. _Excellent. Everything is according to plan…_ The albino thought with much anxiety, feeling incredibly lucky. _But, if this plan is to succeed, I must hold up my façade for moments longer with this disgusting excuse of a man… but that's a small price to pay compared to what we're fishing._ Outwardly, the albino slowly turned around in almost tantalizing manner, sensually teasing at Jiraiya's eyes.

"I… am very grateful for your offer Jiraiya-sama, but I cannot possibly bother a person of high social status such as yourself with my petty favors."

Jiraiya broke into a grin, his eyes crinkling into an excited curve. Thumping his fist onto his heart, he exclaimed, "Surely you do not mean that? I, the Great Frog Hermit, have a responsibility to keep towards fine women such as you, Sakiyo-san. _Hic!_" At his slight state of drunkenness, Jiraiya had the grace to cough. "What I mean, is that I will gladly help you in your endeavors." Bowing slightly, Jiraiya paid his respects towards the albino lady.

Suddenly running into his arms, the albino woman cried, "Oh, do you really mean that?" At Jiraiya's solemn nod, the woman could only lower her head in her attempt to hid the growing grin on her face. _Perfect._ "How could I ever thank you, Jiraiya-sama? This means the world to me." With a slight blush, Jiraiya waved her off, saying that it was nothing. "So, what is it that you want me to do?" Jiraiya inquired, curious as to what he could do for the graceful lady.

The woman's grin only intensified in her mind, as she told of her request to the Frog Hermit.

------------------------------------------------

Though her sobs have now ceased, the Goddess of the Future still continued to gently hold on to the blond teen in her arms, who stayed silent the entire time. Skuld felt his tightened muscles rippling under her fingers, wondering absentmindedly if the boy would turn into a stone anytime soon.

He might as well have been a statue, since he was sitting so rigidly like a rock anyway.

_A warm hearted statue, _She corrected herself. The goddess smiled softly at her juxtapose, slightly tightening her hug as she did so. _He's warm… _Skuld noted with some approval, but her mind soon came to a screeching halt as her train of thought took a little dive into oblivion._ Whoa, wait a minute. Back up. _Hug? She was… hugging? _What!_

With a startled gasp, Skuld pulled away with a flushed stammer of "I, I'm sorry," and almost fell on her butt because she pulled away too abruptly. Barely balancing herself at the last minute, Skuld inwardly chided herself. _Great going Skuld, this is exactly what happens when you lose control over your emotions, _she scolded.

Blush overcoming her exotic features, Skuld was at a loss at what to do. After a pause, she decided that an apology was in order; after all, she had touched him intimately (or at least, _intimate_ in _her_ dictionary anyway) without his permission. "I… um, don't know what came over me. I'm sorry about that; I shouldn't have touched you without your permission." She carefully folded the edge of her Goddess Garment, fiddling with it for the time being while she carefully averted her gaze from the blond teen's shocked eyes. _Oooooh, what made me do that? Oh, right. Empathy… gosh, I really should be careful._

Even though she was questioning herself, Skuld knew _exactly_ what had come over her. She had originally intended to look into his heart's desires in order to gain better understanding of the mortal, but she unintentionally had tapped into his emotional core; past the walls of the heart, she had leapt head first into his cumulated emotions.

In short, Skuld was simply overwhelmed by the teen's emotions.

To be honest, Skuld was felt a bit of trepidation at what was to come, since she had initiated an action that she wasn't really supposed to take, being a Wish-Granting Goddess. _Did I trespass over my boundaries?_ Skuld hadn't really thought of what kind of response such intimate action would elicit from the teen, but she did it anyway; it seemed appropriate at the moment.

For a while, the only audible sound was the dripping rain on the windows, dull and irregular taps filling in the sudden silence between them.

Just as Skuld felt like she was about to burst from the built up anxiety, Naruto spoke in an uncharacteristically soft voice, as if awed. "I…" He stopped once more, pausing as if to think.

"It… It's alright." Naruto finally managed to say after a moment, and then slowly stood up from his chair. Skuld looked up in time to see the teen head into the kitchen, opening the fridge to grab a can of soda pop. Confused, the goddess's ingenious brain only managed an intelligent, _Huh?_

She blinked owlishly, and then noted with a slight surprise that the teen was already right next to her, now placing the cool soda in her hands. At her questioning glance, Naruto answered, "I just thought you seemed a bit thirsty, that's all." Flashing a quick but genuine smile, Naruto sat down again on his chair, a slight blush decorating his cheeks. Skuld only stared blankly between the innocent looking soda sitting in her hands and the equally innocent looking blond who stared back at her in return, a sunny smile brightening his features. Apparently Naruto's smile was a contagious one; a smile also developed on Skuld's lips, which grew exponentially by the second. Her eyes twinkling with sincere amusement, she answered, "Why thank you very much, Uzumaki-_san._ That was very thoughtful of you!" Skuld popped the can open, hearing the satisfying hiss of de-pressurization with a smile. Skuld stared at the open can for a while, and then took a long, quenching drink from the refreshment.

All the while, she eyed the beaming teen across her.

When Skuld had finished quenching herself of her thirst, she skillfully threw the empty can into the waste basket, which made its way with a graceful arc, right into the basket to Naruto's great surprise. _Whoa. She didn't even glance at the basket!_ He had to admit, that was pretty cool; maybe he should try it later. _With my mad shinobi skills, I should be able to do it no problem! _Now excited, Naruto's exuberant smile matched the almost identical smile on the goddess's lips, which surrounded her with an aura of surreal beauty.

Now a common occurrence, the silence once again drifted between them, but this time it wasn't a silence of awkwardness; it was one of contentment, both individuals smiling widely enough to crack their faces in half. Then as if tired from playing a game of "Hold-your-breath-until-you-turn-blue", they both burst out into laughter at the same time, clutching at their sides. Naruto fell first on the ground, rolling around in pure amusement as Skuld followed shortly after, also rolling around in unbearable amusement.

Neither knew what was so funny, but they didn't care for the moment.

For the moment, laughter filled the void between them, allowing their hearts to beat freely together.

------------------------------------------------

After their incessant laughter subsided, Naruto flung himself onto the sofa, clearly becoming comfortable in the beautiful goddess' presence. Skuld had opted to politely sit on the tatami mat, refusing Naruto's offer to sit on the sofa, out of the necessity of feeling the detachment which all Wish-Granting Goddesses had learned to feel; it was never good to become too attached to your charge, because the job of Wish-Granters required constant movement across the globe.

But there was actually a deeper reason for that particular training; detachment was one of the foremost important skills because of the Heavenly Law which forbade any relationships outside of Heaven. Not many gods or goddesses knew of this reason, and the only reason Skuld knew of it was because her older sister Belldandy was the head of the Wish-Granting Department, and because Skuld had seen the forbidden relationship blossoming in real time, between Keiichi and Belldandy.

_That was centuries ago… its all in the past now._

The rain outside seemed to weaken, only a few droplets knocking on the window occasionally. The sky was clearing as well, and bits and pieces of moon light decided it was time to shine as well.

_Alright, time to get to business,_ Skuld reminded herself. "So, Uzumaki Naruto. Have you thought of what to wish for?" Naruto, who had closed his eyes in the comfortable crib of the sofa, lazily opened an eye as if to say, _do we need to discuss this now?_ Nonetheless, he gave her an answer.

A definite shake of his head, a universal gesture for _no;_ which translated into _no, I haven't thought of a wish,_ in this case.

Deep sigh escaped the young goddess, as she massaged her temple slightly; a habit she picked up from Urd, which occasionally popped up when Skuld was feeling under stress. _Figures he wouldn't have. I'm supposed to stick around till he comes up with one, aren't I?_ Skuld wrinkled her nose at the thought; she very wanted to return to Heaven as soon as possible, but if her job required her to stay behind, then she had to – she couldn't afford to show disobedience on her first assignment. _Still, that doesn't mean I have to like it. Ohhh, I wish I could just force the brat into wishing something…_

The goddess glanced at the prone form of the blond recipient, his closed eyes giving an illusion that he was fast asleep – but Skuld knew better, of course. She still picked up conscious thoughts emanating from the blond, whose head was apparently filled with thoughts of _pork ramen_. She almost pulled out her hairs right there and then – _why wasn't this brat thinking of more productive things, like thinking about what he'd wish about?_ It was unfathomable, Skuld decided, that this human would value _food_ over a _wish_; it was mind blowing! _Maybe he's still not taking me seriously…_

Skuld cleared her throat, effectively catching the attention of the blond teen's attention. His eyelids opened once more, his azure eyes questioning. "I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation here, Uzumaki." Skuld stated matter-of-factly, gracefully standing up to her feet as she did so. Her exotic garments shivered slightly, before glowing in a heavenly light, illuminating the room with its brilliance. Skuld smirked slightly, as she regarded the questioning raise of eyebrow of the human in front of her. Her evident smirk growing wider, Skuld decided that a little show of power wouldn't hurt.

"Would you like a live demonstration?"

Before Naruto could insert his hasty refusal, Skuld started chanting words of enchantment, which caused her goddess markings to shine brightly, while she floated a good half a foot over the tatami mat. "_In the name of the one who governs the Future, I command you: Water! Congregate!"_ As soon as she finished her enchantment, light from her goddess markings intensified two folds as light visibly gathered into her forehead. The sight was awe-inspiring; the light emanating from her form illuminated every aspect about the goddess, a glimpse of her true beauty shining through the heavenly light.

Needless to say, Naruto's jaws dropped.

Though his amazement did not last very long; with another burst from her goddess marking, water materialized itself right above the captivated blond teen – and promptly soaked him from head to toe without warning. Now dumbfounded and totally awake, Naruto looked around frantically, trying to find and kick the shit out of whoever had dumped a bucket of water on top of him. He'd figure it was Ero-sennin sneaking around his back or something, but…

The smug smile on Skuld's beaming face told Naruto all he needed to know.

"_You…"_ His eyes narrowed into mere slits as he glared down the sheepish looking goddess, who had enough decency to look a bit ashamed. "Hehehe, my finger slipped…?" She offered weakly, knowing that he wouldn't buy it – but hey, at least she got his complete attention now, right? _It's a definite improvement from _pork ramen,_ at least._

"_YOU…"_ Seeing a few veins pop around Naruto's temple, Skuld now wondered if she had over done it.

"You wanna see what _I_ can do? Take _this, onna!_" Naruto quickly formed a few seals faster than the eyes can follow, Naruto promptly shouted _"Raiton: Gyoshin no Kyuuso no Jutsu (Thunder Element: Bite of Cornered Rat)!_ Naruto then slammed his hands on the tatami mat, sending electrical impulses through the mat.

Skuld instinctively jumped right as the blond brought his hand down on the mats, wondering what he had intended to do. _Interesting, the mortals in this era seem much more capable than the mortals I remember back then…_ Artistically flipping once in the air, Skuld smiled triumphantly; but little did she know, that this was exactly what Naruto had expected her to do, and was waiting for. Naruto inwardly grinned in glee, congratulating himself on his perfect choice of jutsu; Gyoshin no Kyuuso was not a very lethal jutsu, but it was certainly one with much flexibility. The technique's usefulness came from its ability which allowed it to be activated from a distance, after it had been placed into an area. In this case, Naruto had stored a fairly weak amount of electric energy into the tatami mat to be stored for later activation – say, like right about now. _You're getting your due, _stupid_ onna. _

Without warning, electric impulses jumped up vertically from the mat, electrifying anything that was within its range.

Skuld let out a startled gasp as she felt electricity coarse through her body, thoughts of bewilderment running through her mind. _How'd he…?_ Before she could complete her thought, she plummeted straight downwards face first into the now-fried tatami mat and unceremoniously landed with a pained _"Oof."_ Allowing a satisfied smirk dominate his face, the soaked blond now jumped around in celebration.

"Oh yeah, who's the man? ME! Gyahahaha!" He pumped his fist upwards, as he declared himself the victor. _This one deserves a victory dance! _Shaking his butt, he cried, "That's what you _get_ when you mess with the UZUM-" _Splash._

His beatific expression quickly falling into an expression of dumbfounded gawk, Naruto's eyes developed a tick as his face dripped with the cold water. Standing with an equally dry expression, fried goddess smiled with grim amusement at the look on the soaked teen's face. A small silence of tension passed, while thoughts of determination ran through their eyes.

_Ah ha ha ha. You're dead, stupid girl. _Naruto's flashing blue eyes held fiery spirit, as he regarded his opponent with guarded wariness. _You're goin' down._

In return, Skuld's glowing orange eyes coldly glared back at her assailant, her eyes replying with equal, if not greater vigor. _Bring it on, urchin head._

The tension seemed almost tangible, as fighting aura filled the air inside the room. The heavenly goddess's foreign markings glowed with power, while the blond genin's curled fingers twitched in anticipation of making appropriate hand seals at a moment's notice. Both wore identical grins on their face, one that said _kiss my ass._

Skuld and Naruto both stood tense, as if waiting for a signal – and it came in the form of a particularly loud _tap_ from a large raindrop.

At the same time, they both charged forward, ready to take each other down at all costs.

------------------------------------------------

Kami, the head honcho of the Heavenly Realm, looked down at the various proceedings from his throne of power.

He had many responsibilities, ranging from something important as keeping the Heavenly Order from collapsing into chaos, to something menial like watching over new, inexperienced goddesses.

Which was exactly what he was doing right now; watching over Skuld's very first assignment as a field agent.

The transparent screen was tapped onto the apartment complex of the Iwagaki Inn, showing crisp images of Skuld and her very first recipient. Carefully watching over her progress, Kami mused about the boy in question. _Ironic that Skuld's very first assignment would lead her to such a critical being… One who holds the power of the Bijuu, blessed and cursed by its very existence; Uzumaki Naruto._ Kami remembered the father of that boy quite well – after all, that man had been able to do what Heaven or Hell could not do, even if he had borrowed the power of an astral death god, Shimigami. Regardless, to seal such an entity inside his own son… Yondaime was a gutsy man.

Kami reflected back upon the boy, mulling over the miserable life the boy had led. The boy held unusually strong mental capabilities for one who grew up with hatred and despise as his best friends. _Boy did not break._ How ironic that the very person who was acting as the gate guardian to the one of the most powerful mystery of the universe, was also universally hated by everyone who knew of the truth. _Humans will never learn. _As proven, history repeats itself over and over, as Kami recalled how men and women in the past with unusual qualities were shunned and isolated.

_Speaking of Bijuu, the boy holds the Kyuubi at bay, does he not?_ He casually pondered upon the origins of the creature, as he scrutinized its vessel; the Kyuubi was a mystery even to Kami, knowing practically nothing about the beast other than the fact that it was as ancient as the Heaven and Hell itself. _It was foolish of us to fool ourselves to think that the Bijuu would disappear forever for no reason, _Kami thought back as he recalled their disappearance shortly after Yggdrasil's activation. _Everything exists for a reason; even the Bijuu._ He nodded at the principle he had created when he had built the universe, which has been kept quite orderly since its creation. _However, _this_ changes things quite a bit, doesn't it…?_

A human boy in possession of such a massive power, not yet tainted by the forces of evil…

_Hm, this assignment may prove crucial to the World Order of the Universe._ It was then Kami saw the interactions between Skuld and the Uzumaki boy, fighting each other like cats and dogs. Smiling lightly, Kami noted that both Skuld and the boy exhibited signs of anticipation and strangely, happiness. _Interesting… they may benefit each other greatly, if time allows it,_ he then added as an after thought, _especially for Skuld._

It was no secret that the Three Norse Goddesses went through severe depression after being recalled back to the Heavenly realm, ever since the death of the mortal Keiichi. Kami knew that this particular mortal held a bright and brilliant light of the soul, reflected by the pure heart he possessed. Keiichi was also a being very close to the hearts of the three sisters, to the being the sole reason why the three goddesses stayed on Earth. The four of them, they had led a long and happy life on earth, yet time had taken its toll on the mortal body of Keiichi. They all knew that Keiichi's life would end someday, yet stubbornly ignored the prospect of death and found happiness in their time spent on earth.

But as do all good things, their happiness ended when Keiichi was visited by the Death God.

Kami smiled slightly at the memory, genuinely feeling happiness at remembrance of the precious love Keiichi and Belldandy had shared. Their love was in fact so strong, that even the Death God had decided to give them a little time to part with each other, on their own. _Such action of sympathy from the Death God was unheard of, _Kami thought with pride. _Their love was true._

Ultimately, both Keiichi and Belldandy had parted with a final promise, that they would see each other someday, even at the end of eternity; it was a promise that was sealed with a kiss of eternal love, between a mortal and a goddess.

Then, the Shimigami took him away.

Regardless, Keiichi's parting had affected all three Goddesses despite the eternal promise. His death had affected not only Belldandy, but Urd and Skuld as well over the last few centuries; though they had tried very hard to stay bright and cheerful, they couldn't help but become more and more reclusive as the years went by. Kami, being the watchful being he is, watched over them as all three sisters dealt with their problems differently; Urd had thrown herself into work; Belldandy's songs had turned into sad rhapsodies of longing; and Skuld devoted herself to helping others, thinking of others with no concern to her own well being.

Kami saw the changes in the sisters, and it had saddened him greatly. _Their light does not shine brightly as they used to. _Thankfully, they were slowly recovering; since the last 5 decades ago or so - each sister started to slowly brighten up again, with an exception of Skuld. Urd had started to let up a bit from her work, and took leisure breaks again while complaining that there was too much work like she used to do, though she still worked very diligently. Meanwhile, Belldandy's songs of sorrow slowly reverted back into its former bright and glorious songs of vitality, blessing her audience with joyous melody once more – many were very thankful of this. But Skuld…

_She hasn't been freed from shackles of sadness yet,_ Kami thought with a grimace. Skuld had been a growing Goddess when Keiichi had passed away, and his death had affected her even more so than it did Urd and Belldandy, who were both fully matured Goddesses who had the capacity to cope with losses. But for Skuld who was still a premature goddess of great potential, growing up with the despairingly sorrowful feeling of loss had distorted her growth to an extent. Things were made only worse when she had to see her sisters also squirm in the grasp of their own sorrows, when Skuld truly needed someone to look up and cling on to. _In a way, Skuld was the one most affected by the mortal's death, _Kami nodded at his conclusion. _To see one's role models in despair… there is no worse punishment than that._

But tonight, in the room of this strange Bijuu Vessel, Skuld was showing liveliness which she hadn't displayed since centuries ago, when she was living with her sisters and Keiichi.

_A good influence indeed,_ Kami nodded, and then made a decision – one that would most likely bring life-altering events for the oblivious mortals below, specifically involving the life of one Uzumaki Naruto.

_Let my will be done…_

------------------------------------------------

Divine Intervention is a term used to describe an event in which either supernatural or divine power influences or intervenes during the course of an event in order to change the inevitable outcome towards a specific goal (Source: Must-use Vocabularies When BS-ing your Boss – Shinobi Edition). A practical example would be the destruction of the two ancient cities, Sodom and Gomorra. It was written that both cities had been turned to ashes by the God of Hebrews because of their sinful way of living. Another great example would be the case in which a Shinobi's mission fails due to inevitable climate changes... or something like that. _This_ was the definition that Naruto would have recalled (though it was doubtful if he would recall the ancient Sodom and Gomorra story – the latter would be the example he'd remember), if anyone had ever asked him what "Divine Intervention" meant.

He certainly did not expect _this._

When the goddess and the genin began their face-off, things had started off ordinarily as possible for a goddess and a jinchuuriki – crystalline water gathered in the palm of Skuld's open hands, while thundering electricity from Gyoshin no Kyuuso gathered in Naruto's palms. They had both slowly circled each other, waiting for a chance that which may allow them to bring each other down. Needless to say, they were both thoroughly convinced to themselves that they would come out as the winner from this little struggle.

Unfortunately, their confrontation had halted to a stop when blinding bolts of lightning burned through the Iwagaki Inn, straight into the room 202 where Naruto and Skuld were having their little skirmish. The seemingly lethal bolts of lightning struck several times inside the room, and while Skuld had immediately known who had sent the lightning and relaxed, Naruto was not nearly as fortunate as he was never blessed with the heavenly knowledge. His blue eyes had gone wide, and he screamed bloody murder right before running hastily into the bathroom in poor attempt to save himself from the unorthodox phenomenon.

From the heaven, Kami-sama smirked at the vessel.

Naruto, now a mere trembling mass on the floor, was cowering at a corner with his head between his knees, trying to look smaller than he already was. _What the FUCK was that? _Meanwhile, Skuld who knew that the lightning carried heavenly message calmly kneeled forward to read the arcane language. She frowned slightly as she wondered why Kami-sama would send her a heavenly message, and hoped for the best. _It must be something big, if he decided it was urgent enough to interrupt the Wish-Granting process. _

She wasn't disappointed.

Jaws dropping, the goddess was now also screaming bloody murder, falling unceremoniously on her butt as she fell from shock. "_Due to the nature of your Recipient, and also due to your violation of Wish-Granting Goddess protocol #897, I hereby deem Skuld, Goddess First Class, Category Two with Unlimited License, temporarily banned from Heaven and bound to her mortal Recipient during her probation period." _Eyes getting wider by the second, the now-banned goddess frantically rubbed her eyes in attempt to dispel the foul illusion on the floor. _It HAS to be an illusion! _ Unfortunately, all that rubbing only allowed her to see more clearly, letting her catch the last part of the message. "_P.S.: Your probation period is up to discussion, and may depend on your future behavior. But for now, you are to be with Uzumaki Naruto during your stay. Oh, and try not to cause trouble, will you?"_

Skuld's lips trembled, as she voiced out her opinion on the matter.

"WHAT!"

------------------------------------------------

Jiraiya frowned, his fingers on his chin as he narrowed his eyes.

Something _definitely_ was amiss.

As he walked back from the bar, Jiraiya's frown grew as he pondered on the albino lady's request. _What a strange request to ask for. This kind of job can be done easily by civilian workers – so why use a ninja? Even more so, she knew my name. _That should have activated some alarm, but as always when concerning beautiful women, Jiraiya was hopelessly captivated at the time. _Those vixens will be the death of me someday, I swear._ But just as soon as the horrid thought arose, Jiraiya's frown turned upside down and thought '_hey, that's not a bad idea!'_

After all, prospect of death by a beautiful lady didn't sound so bad when compared to being fed as raw meat to Orochimaru's snakes one day.

_Everyone gotta go some times, _he thought sagely. _But back to the matter at hand; why would she ask _me_ to do such a menial job?_ It didn't escape the old hermit's mind that the woman might be an agent from one of many organizations who had put a hefty price on the Frog Hermit's hairy head. _Hm, that's does sound reasonable, _Jiraiya tried to reason, yet his gut feelings told him otherwise. Then after a moment, he shrugged. _I'll never know unless I walk into it, won't I._

Oh well, how bad can it be? After all, people here were civilian-class as far as Jiraiya could see, and he was considered one of the best at recognizing skilled opponents. _Come to think of it, Sakiyo-chan wasn't exactly civilian type… wait, how do I know her name? This is getting weird…_ He scratched his head, confused like an amnesiac who forgot his own name while remembering his own mother's. _Regardless, she's a classy lady alright, _he nodded as he remembered the regal way the lady had sipped her tea, elegance flowing from her graceful form in a way only aristocrats could.

Jiraiya continued his way down the streets of Iwagaki, noticing that even though it was pretty late out, there were many people up and about. _Even a small city like this never sleeps these days,_ he mused as he compared the days of now to a few decades ago when people didn't even leave their household during daylight. _Peaceful times have finally arrived, but at what cost?_ Cost of Yondaime, and countless others who sacrificed their life; that was too high of a cost in Jiraiya's book.

"Mommy mommy, what's that?"

A young girl's cry of amazement had brought Jiraiya out of his reverie, only to throw him into another realm of confusion. _What's going on here?_

In the direction the innocent child was pointing at were several bolts of lighting, raining down upon the helpless Iwagaki Inn.

A cold hand of doom grasped his heart, as Jiraiya's mind reeled in shock, seconds before he sprung into action. Jumping easily on the rooftops, he started to race across atop of buildings, his huge form nothing but a red smear in the night sky. When another bolt struck the Inn, Jiraiya couldn't help but grit his teeth in anxiety, born out of worry for his apprentice.

_You'd better be in one piece, Naruto… or else._

------------------------------------------------

Her mind currently reeling in a state of panic, Skuld frantically grabbed the phone which had been thankfully out of the lightning bolt's unforgiving rage. _There has to be a mistake, _the rational part of her mind shouted with conviction and righteous anger, _because there IS no Wish-Granting Goddess Protocol #897! It only goes up to #896!_ Indeed, Skuld remembered the rules clearly as if she had been born with them. After all, Skuld did not become Goddess First Class on incompetence.

Dialing the number to Yggdrasil in record time, Skuld yelled at the unfortunate operator who picked up the call unwittingly. _"Get me Kami-sama **right **this minute! This is urgent!"_ Startled to the point where he almost pissed in his pants, the operator complied immediately without question with a stammer of obedience.

_This has to be a mistake, this has to be a mistake,_ Skuld chanted desperately in her mind, believing that it would come true if she repeated it in her mind enough. Oh, who was she kidding? She was dealing with _the_ Kami-sama here; he never made mistakes. Still, it doesn't hurt to wish, right? _Oh Kami, _please_, just this once…_

When the line came back online, Skuld expected the rumbling voice of the omnipotent being on the other line, to tell her that everything had been one hell of a joke.

Instead, she got the blubbering operator who had answered her the first time. _"Uh, Uhm, M-Miss Skuld, Kami-sama is cur-r-rently unavailable right now, and-"_ Skuld's incredulous yell cut the operator off, making him wince on the other line. "_What do you mean he's unavailable! Kami-sama is omnipresent you idiot! He _can't_ be unavailable-" _This time, it was the operator who cut her off, having grown some spine in the last few seconds.

"_He _is_ currently unavailable, I as-sure you, Miss Skuld. P-please, calm yourself. Ah, and Kami-sama did say something… He had said in His words, 'My words are Law." He had spoken."_ When silence greeted him on the other line, the operator inwardly sighed in relief that the young goddess had calmed down enough not to yell at him. "_If that is all, I bid you good bye, and try to repent during your probation. May Kami-sama be with you." _ With a hurried click, he hung up.

Skuld dumbly stared at the phone sitting smugly in her hand, feeling numb at the turn of the events. The gears in her head momentarily paused for the time being, the young goddess fought the urge to scream as loud as she can. _"My words are Law"? Why would he say tha- Wait a minute._ As if piecing together a puzzle, the meaning behind the cryptic statement hit her like a jackhammer. _He _made up_ additional rules! _ Well, no wonder she violated the laws then – it's because she didn't know what the law was in the _first place!_

_Nice going, _a sarcastic part of her mind drawled.

_But why would he do something like that?_ It made no sense to Skuld. _Did he create a law specifically for me to be stranded here?_ _Is this some plot to throw me out of heaven! _Shaking her head of absurd ideas which grew exponentially worse as she worried, Skuld hoped that she was reading too much into it. But, she was certain that what she suspected was indeed what had happened – Kami-sama had created an additional law without Skuld's knowledge, which she apparently had violated if the bolts of lightning and the writing on the floor were any indication. _So I'm on probation indefinitely._

It took a while for Skuld to acknowledge the gravity of the word, the meaning of the word echoing through her head repeatedly over and over again before she couldn't take it anymore.

Probation… that meant…

_I'm stuck here!_

------------------------------------------------

To be continued…

------------------------------------------------

Heh, and here's the next installment of _Divine._ I hope you enjoyed it.

Ah, and it wouldn't hurt to leave some comments or criticisms? Constructive criticism would be vastly appreciated, thank you.

As for the Bijuu, I thank you all for your input. Though there had been some conflicting ideas, I decided that I will go with the info Gman submitted (many thanks, Gman.).

Bijuus:

Ichibi - Shukaku, a tanuki

Nibi - Nekomata, a cat

Sanbi - Isonade, a shark

Yonbi - Souku, a snake/rooster hybrid (a cockatrice/basilisk)

Gobi - Houku, a dog

Rokubi - Raijuu, a weasel

Nanabi - Kaku, a badger

Hachibi - Yamata/Hachimata no Orochi, 8-headed, 8-tailed snake

Ah, and the 12 people who left me a review - a big thanks goes out to you all! You guys made my day.

Anyways, next chapter will be up sometimes this week, hopefully. ;

Next Chapter: The Great Frog Hermit arrives at the eye of the storm! Can Naruto keep the old pervert's wandering hands away from the Goddess of the Future? Will Skuld be able to find her way out of this mess?


	3. First Impressions

------------------------------------------------

**Divine**

------------------------------------------------

First Impressions

------------------------------------------------

_Is it over yet?_

Naruto involuntarily shivered as he stood up from the remains of what was once a clean, flawless bathroom. Looking around, he couldn't help but to feel a wave of trepidation wash over his very core, his sixth sense tingling like there was no tomorrow. _I hope I don't get blamed for this…_ Though he hoped otherwise, Naruto just _knew _that everything would fall on his shoulders – they always did. What surrounded Naruto at the moment did not resemble the once almost regal looking Iwagaki Inn bathroom – it was more like a total war zone back from the Great Shinobi War, perfectly reenacted to the smallest details. And Naruto stood alone in the midst of this chaos, as the seeming perpetrator of this entire event.

In another words, Naruto's entire lifesavings probably wouldn't be enough to cover half the expenses.

_Shit,_ Naruto angrily kicked innocent looking rubble, watching it crumple into almost finely ground dust. Naruto really, really wanted to just stand on top of a mountain somewhere and scream up at the heavens. Out of all the places in the world, why did the lightning have strike _here_! _It's like the whole world is against me!_ Knowing his luck, Naruto figured that there was no way out of this situation – all evidence pointed guilty fingers at Naruto, though he was innocent. He was the one who was at the scene of crime, and that means it would all be his fault, and Jiraiya would be merrily laughing at him all the way. _Dang it, maybe I should have learned a thing or two about brooding from Sasuke when I had the chance…_

Naruto froze at the dismaying thought, throwing the particular idea out the window as soon as it had popped up in his head.

Naruto shook his head fervently as he scowled, not liking the outrageous thought that had jumped into his head without permission. _No way in hell I'm going to sulk like that stiff-stick-up-his-asshole. _He wasn't ready to sink to that level yet. He sighed, plaguing memories of his past comrade bombarding his guilty mind. He shook his head to clear out of the discerning line of thought, and glanced up at the roof, or… where roof _used_ to be, in attempt to distract himself. Fortunately, the night was gloriously lit with shining luminance of the heavenly stars, surrealism at its zenith. _It's a beautiful night… what was that phrase that open-pervert always say? 'Great wonders of the world should be seen with great beauty by your side'? I swear that guy's got a one-track mind. Always talking about girls this, girls that… girls… wait. _Naruto's brain came skidding to a halt, realization dawning.

Girl?

Groaning in reluctance, Naruto remembered the strange girl who had splashed an offending amount of water on him, her gleaming eyes twinkling in amusement. _Gah, is she alright?_ With a sudden sense of dread, he slid next to the wall which separated the living room from the bathroom. He didn't want to walk in on a scene he did not want to see – a possibly mangled and crisply-fried body of a young girl. _I didn't see her escape, and she didn't seem agile enough to get out of the blast radius either. _Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly at the thought, not amused at the situational complications that may rise if the girl had indeed died. _On top of getting blamed for the building, I bet I'm going to be blamed for her death as well… _That would just plainly suck, Naruto decided. _And…_ Naruto grudgingly remembered the way she had so passionately embraced him, whatever her reason. It wasn't every day Naruto was on the receiving end of such affection, and despite the short time the goddess had spent with the blond, he was already fond of her. He prayed that should the girl be alright, he'd treat a month's worth of ramen to whatever deity that decided to answer his prayers.

Elsewhere in a timeless throne, Kami laughed.

Now reaching almost at the edge of the wall, Naruto braced himself for the undoubtedly waiting sight of devastation on the other side of the wall. _More importantly, that onna better be ok. _He crossed his fingers, and slowly peeked out with one eye.

He face faulted immediately afterwards.

There, at the middle of the devastated living room, was the trembling (and completely unharmed) form of the Goddess of Future - who was in the middle of sobbing her heart. Her muffled cries of misery echoed on the shamble of remaining walls, as Naruto could do nothing but watch in befuddled incredulousness. "What did I do to deserve this Kami-sama?" She choked out miserably, as her tears seeped out between her fingers.

Naruto watched with growing sense of fear, each drop of her tears plucking a chord of panic in his mind. _What the hell am I suppose to do?_ Panic was steadily growing in his mind, as he had absolutely no idea as what to do in this type of situation. He wasn't good at handling girls to start with – let alone handling a crying one! What was he suppose to do? Hug her? Pat her? Slap her out of it? _Why me? Why _always _me?_

_Try talking, why don't ya. _The rational part of his psyche drawled lazily, yet reprimanding at the same time. _Of course, talking. Why hadn't I thought of that before? _Naruto mentally rolled his eyes at himself, then swiftly moved next to the sobbing goddess, who was now somewhat subdued. Jiraiya's Love Lesson Number 1: Crying girl was to be dealt with extreme caution. _Who'd thought that old pervert's tips would come in handy?_

"Hey… what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Naruto tentatively asked, as he crouched down to eye-to-eye level with Skuld. She shook her head no, but continued to cry sorrowfully nonetheless. _You suck at lying, _Naruto concluded. With a sigh, he reached out to part her hands away from her face, but Skuld shied away from his touch, crying harshly, "Leave me alone!" She turned away from him completely, but she wasn't crying anymore. She was seething.

_It's his fault!_ The accusation automatically popped into her mind, ready to shift blames to the nearest person within an arm's reach – namely, the blond boy who was crouching over her in concern. _It's HIS fault that I'm stuck here, and it's HIS fault that I was sent here in the first place!_ A part of her knew that she was being irrational, but Skuld couldn't care less about that right now. She was under probation, and she was _pissed._

Pissed at _him._

Still, she had enough sense not to take it out on Naruto – after all, she knew that it wasn't truly his fault at all, deep down. _I wonder how he's gonna take it,_ Skuld wondered how the boy would react to the news of her being bound to him until the probation was lifted. _What is Kami-sama thinking? _It was outrageous, to say the least. But then again, who was Skuld to question anything about what the almighty Kami-sama do or not do? She sighed, as her anger lost its steam somewhat. _I have a feeling that he's not going to take it very well..._ But she had to tell him nevertheless, that was for sure.

_Or, I can always say half-true statements and weasel my way out…but that wouldn't be really fair. _Skuld mentally ticked the imaginary metronome in her head, counting the seconds. _What to do, what to do…_

Meanwhile, Naruto calmly gazed upon the dark figure of the goddess outlined by the moonlight, as she suddenly sighed. _I wonder what's up with her. _He considered prying again, but then she seemed to want to be left alone for now. _Whatever the lady wishes, _he thought shrugging mentally. He slowly stood up, stretching his tired and cramped legs – and was painfully reminded once more that his entire body was sore. _God damn that pervert… that slave-driver from hell! _Naruto winced as a particularly painful sore spot was stretched, and he couldn't help but to gingerly massage the muscle with all tenderness.

There was a heavy silence in the air, neither saying anything for the time being. Two people, sitting in rubbles of destruction, contemplating under the moonlight – it was comical, to say the least. Naruto was trying to gauge the goddess' mood, and said goddess was trying to figure out a way to break the news of her situation on the unfortunate blond. Then at the same time, they opened their mouth in unison only to be interrupted by a pounding fist on the half-standing door frame.

"_Hey! What's going on in there? Is everything alright? Open up this instance!"_ The voice obviously did not realize that the room wasn't really there anymore, other than heaps of rubbles. And yet, if Naruto and Skuld were both discovered at the scene of the crime… _This isn't good, _he noted as he threw nervous glances at the door, wanting to avoid disaster if he could help it. "_We're going to break the door down, so hang in there," _the loud voice which Naruto came to recognize as the Inn keeper shouted from behind the door, determination thick in his voice. The old man was apparently willing to break down his own door to gain entrance. _Well, crap._

Meanwhile, Skuld was having similar line of thoughts. _I've seen enough to know that this situation will cause misunderstanding; humans back in Keiichi's time didn't take too well to decimated hotels, so why should they take this in strides? _Skuld recalled the time when Urd had completely wiped out the room of an unfortunate hotel for bad service – needless to say, the owner wasn't pleased. She grimaced when she remembered how everyone had to scrub the dishes and the floors to pay off the entire damage. _That's never going to happen again - EVER! _Grasping her head in frustration, Skuld almost opted to chanting words of recovery, but decided against it at last minute seeing that the mortals were just outside the door. _They obviously saw the Omnipotent Message, and thus came here to investigate and to perform damage control. If I fix everything, they'll become suspicious… _Not to mention that she'll never finish in time! _They'll be in here before the process is complete._

Skuld stifled an urge to groan.

_Ugh, I don't want to think anymore darn it! _Skuld was no where naïve as Belldandy was; she very well knew that retribution of this kind of damage would cost much money, more money than she'd be able to imagine. She'd be forced to resort to chanting the words of recovery, if everything came down to scrubbing dishes for rest of her life. _But then again, if I did that then the mortals will know of our existence. _The matter of keeping the Heavenly Secrets from the Mortal Realm was considered one of the highest priorities as a goddess, and the only exceptions to this rule was the Chosen Ones fated to receive a wish-granting service from the Heaven. _If people found out, then I'd be forced to erase their memories… _But that was something Skuld despised with a passion – tampering with memories went against her morals _big time._

Ah well, she would deal with things as things went along, she supposed.

However, she had a bigger concern. The building… _This entire section had been decimated... No doubt people will find out that this brat was staying in here and hold him responsible, _she thought guiltily, wincing at the thought of troubles the blond would face. She spared an apologetic glance at the blond human who was in turn staring at the door with something akin to fear. Her apologetic glance went unnoticed, but Skuld decided that later would be a better time for an apology anyway. _If we manage through this alright, that is…_ Meanwhile, the men outside began their preparations to break the door down.

"_Everyone, ready?"_ Muffled voices outside chanted, "_one, two, THREE!" _**BANG!**

Both habitants in what's left of the hotel room jumped at the noise, more startled than neither was willing to admit. They glanced at the door, and then sighed simultaneously at the sturdy door which stood firm. **_BANG!_** The noise came again, and this time there was a visible dent in the metal door. The door wasn't going to last very long, and they both realized that they were running out of time. At this point, Naruto curtailed all other thoughts except one, deciding that that there was only _one_ solution. _Run like hell._

Naruto hauled the sitting goddess by her arm, then promptly ran to where there used to be a balcony – now, there was only empty space where wall used to stand. Only thing that greeted them at the edge of the room was the bustling street of Iwagaki down below, now filled with spectators who came over to see the divine damage upon the unfortunate Iwagaki Inn. "Time to go," Naruto murmured quietly. Skuld was about to voice her opinion on the matter, but he gave her no such chance.

He jumped, and Skuld was dragged along with him.

Ignoring the surprised cries of the spectators below, Naruto reached the roof of the next building with ease. Skuld was not so unfortunate, as the roof tiles left her bottoms a painful first impression. She blurted out a gasp, and Naruto only chuckled at her misfortune. Skuld seethed, but said nothing for now.

Now noticing the glaring attention both were receiving from the crowd down below, Naruto was reminded that they weren't out of trouble yet. He swiftly dragged the miserable goddess into the shadow of a chimney standing erect in the modern roof, effectively concealing both of them in the darkness of the night. He pushed her flat against the shady wall of the chimney, covering her with an arm across her figure, successfully nullifying any protest the goddess tried to make. _We should be out of their line of site now, _Naruto rationalized as he calculated the angle of visibility from his position. _Well, I can't say that the old hermit is a bad teacher for beating this crap into my head, _Naruto grudgingly admitted, even though he had protested very loudly when Jiraiya first introduced the art of geometrics to him. The entire session had turned into a chase across the town by the sundown, ending with painful lumps on Naruto's head with newly acquired geometric knowledge beat into his head. _I'll thank him when I get the chance._

From the shadows, Naruto peered out at the Iwagaki Inn, relief finding him when he was greeted with the sight of bewildered bunch of Inn mates and the Inn Keeper. The men had swarmed the now empty room only a moment too late, looking bewildered at the damage done by the god-sent lightning yet wondering where the occupant of the room had gone to. _That was close, _he realized, chill running down his spine at the thought of what might have happened if they had jumped a moment too late. Naruto allowed himself to relax for the moment, thinking that he was out of the figurative fire.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

_Chomp._

"**_YEOUCH!_"** Naruto immediately jumped out into the open roof, screaming as if he had stuck his hand in a jar full of hungry snakes. He felt his eyes widen as he stared incredulously at the offending bite mark on his hand. _She BIT me! _His mind numbed at the thought. What the hell! He mouthed silently with indignant stomp, completely ignorant of the widening eyes of the Inn Keeper. '_What was that for!_' No one bit _Uzumaki Naruto –_that was how things were.

Easily matching his withering glare, the goddess gave him the 'BLEHH- eye' which was nicely complimented with a raspberry, whispering, '_that's what you get for laughing at me, brat.' _The said brat fumed like a volcano, amusing the goddess to no end. To the blond teen's great surprise however, she smiled apologetically and promptly grasped his hand to plant a tender kiss on his throbbing hand. '_I'm sorry,_' she silently mouthed. Naruto rapidly blinked, hair on the back of his head standing up like a frightened porcupine. _W-what the hell ---_

Well, frightened porcupine maybe putting things in a bit of a light fashion... Try more along the lines of mental self-destruction. Eyes becoming large as saucers, Naruto marveled at the way the slightly stinging pain from the offending bite mark dissipated as if it was never there... but more importantly, his mind reeled from the contact made between her soft lips and his hand. His vision swimming, he only made out one coherent word from jumbled mental disaster that was his lonely psyche.

_Whoa…_

It was as if Naruto was struck spellbound, unable to break free despite the obvious anger directed towards him from the enraged Inn Keeper, as Naruto was currently out in the open moonlight for all to see. He'd be lucky if the inn occupants refrained from throwing rocks at his still figure, but such concerns were currently the farthest things from his brain at the moment. Skuld seemed quite amused and slightly embarrassed at the completely baffled expression residing on Naruto's whiskered face. His eyes illuminated by the moon, which transformed their colors into an almost lavender shade filled with reproachful surprise, as if seeing her in the light for the first time. The young goddess giggled lightly, feeling quite smug at her accomplishment. _That should be payment enough, _Skuld nodded inwardly, proudly proclaiming in her mind that it was not everyday that a mortal received a kiss from the youngest of the Norse Goddess – and that it was a great honor when a mortal _did_ receive one. Or so she claimed.

_Heh, you're about a hundred million years too young to be a _beautiful_ and _fabulous_ goddess like me, Skuld! _The annoying vision of Urd suddenly popped into her head, her voluptuous features exaggeratedly highlighted and over accentuated in Skuld's mind – in other words, it was an implanted image designed solely for crushing Skuld's moment of feminine pride. _When did she plant _that_? Urd…_

Skuld pointedly ignored the said image.

On the other hand, Naruto remained completely oblivious to the thoughts of the goddess and was currently trying his best to suppress a blush threatening to appear on his face. _Regain composure, regain composure,_ he chanted in his mind, focusing solely on the mantra his perverted sensei had beaten into his head not so long ago. The mantra was supposed to allow Naruto to become calmer and less hyperactive, giving him the power to think with a clear mind. Still, he couldn't really stop a faint hue of red leaking out of his whiskered cheeks. Naruto quickly turned away to hide the blasted blush as well as to save what was left of his dignity – he had been gawking at her like a fish! _How embarrassing…_

But as all spellbound moments go, the end came faster than either of them had expected. **_"Kill 'em!"_** Naruto and Skuld visibly flinched at the shout, slowly turning around in perfect synch to see an entire battalion of men composed of townspeople, armed with pitchforks and torches all alike. The hostility emanating from the crowd effectively awoke Naruto from whatever spell he had been under, his mind plunging back into the cold reality. _I'm in deep crap, _he realized as he observed the men's faces (Inn Keeper's in particular) twisted into angry snarls most appropriate on demons of the Eastern arts, with complete set of horns and tusks. Naruto winced at the accusing auras of the gathered men, and he knew that he was a dead man for sure. Again, there was only one way to solve his troubles. _I am not going to stick around to watch the fireworks, _he told himself firmly.

If running away meant his head safe on his shoulders, Naruto would gladly take it.

Without another moment of hesitation, Naruto smoothly hauled Skuld by her slim waist and quickly gathered chakra on his feet to make a _big _jump. Big jump, as in '_Whoa, how'd he jump over that mountain' _jump. _I just hope I jump far enough, _he prayed.

"Hey, what the -! Let me down you brat! Put me down this instance!" The goddess obviously found the idea of being carried more than pleasant, but the blond teen ignored her indignant cries in favor of the shouting men who were now quickly storming out of the Iwagaki Inn, running as fast as their civilian legs could carry them. They were swearing like loose sailors on vodka, fire of death burning darkly in their eyes.

Looking back at the crowd, Naruto couldn't help but to pray a silent apology at the damage done, even though he knew it was not his fault. _That inn's gonna take some time to fix, _he thought sullenly. But his guilty conscious was quickly snuffed as his logical side of the brain presented a _very _possible scenario in which he was captured, accompanied by a pitiful picture of tattered Naruto scrubbing dishes for the rest of his life at the back of the kitchen to pay off the enormous damage.

Naruto could not suppress his shudder. _Not going to happen._

_They do say that discretion is better part of valor, don't they?_

With Skuld still pounding his back in protest, Naruto jumped as far as he can and disappeared into the night.

------------------------------------------------

When Jiraiya arrived at the Inn, he couldn't stop his jaw from falling.

_Damn that boy, what did he do this time,_ Jiraiya grumbled as he winced at the offending welcoming sight – the ruins of what once had been a glorious Iwagaki Inn. The thunder bolts had done a through job, he noted absently. An entire section of the whole complex was completely decimated beyond recognition, as if there had been a small war in the area. _And on top of that…_

There was not even a hair left of Naruto.

No footprints, no struggle, _nothing_. Jiraiya had been particularly concerned about this – while he _knew _for a fact that his apprentice would not go down without a fight, Jiraiya held no illusions about the boy's level of strength - Naruto was nothing more than a boy fresh out of elementary school when compared to the seasoned missing-nins of Akatsuki organization. _Still, that wouldn't explain why not a trace of him was left. _He doubted that the Akatsuki agents could take Naruto without making a ruckus; after all, the boy was receiving personal one-on-one training from _the_ Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya himself! Jiraiya the Frog Hermit, Master of the late Yondaime and currently in process of making a legend out of one of the most feared Jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Naruto! Well, the last part might have been a bit over the top, but hey – it was bound to become reality soon enough. _The boy is way too stubborn to be captured, _Jiraiya thought with confidence, and yet he couldn't stop a small but definite '_but…_' from forming in his mind.

After all, anything was possible.

And to add some more spice into the mystery, all of Naruto's belongings were still sitting in his room – they were all burnt to crisp mind you, but they were still untouched and undisturbed. _If Naruto had been indeed attacked, then he would have grabbed _the scroll_ like I had told him to, _Jiraiya reasoned. He had told his apprentice the instruction for emergency many times before - that if he was ever caught in a battle he cannot win, all he had to do was grab _the scroll_ and smear blood across it; it was a human summoning contract, designed to summon Jiraiya on the spot while bypassing all laws of space and time. This was one of the reasons why Jiraiya felt that it was safe enough to let the blond boy wander alone himself, since the scroll was almost as good as having Jiraiya right next to the boy. Still, there was a possibility that the boy may not have had the time to get to the scroll, as slim as that may be – and there was the little problem about what the boy considered a _battle he cannot win_. Jiraiya's great manes danced as his head shook; _He is so much trouble, that boy. _

Jiraiya thoughtfully walked over to what was left of Naruto's property, and leaned down to inspect them more thoroughly. _Very interesting, this lightning…_he mused as he reached out his hand to a bag, which promptly fell into dust immediately at the contact. His eyes slightly widened at this, as he had not witnessed such extent of damage for many years. _Complete electrocution…_

The last had been at the war with the Hidden Cloud, where instead of burnt scrolls there were burnt Konoha ninjas.

_Hm, how interesting. _Jiraiya slowly rubbed his fingers, feeling the texture of the dry ash between them. _This is one thoroughly executed jutsu – there's not even a single drop of water left in these dusts. _True to his words, everything collapsed into fine dust of carbon the moment it was disturbed – that kind of damage was impossible unless the jutsu completely eradicated the water vapors in the subject. _Such effects cannot be achieved with amateur chakra control, not unlike Naruto._ Even without that little piece of insight, Jiraiya had already ruled out Naruto since he had never taught the boy such devastating lightning jutsu… at least, not yet. _He's not ready for this kind of jutsu, _Jiraiya shook his head. So if not Naruto, then who? Itachi? _Nah, he does not favor Raiton jutsus. _The mist swordsman? _Mist Nin hates thunder._

Jiraiya scratched his head at that point; he couldn't think of any other possible culprits from the remaining Akatsuki members, mainly because he had no idea who they were. He had some suspicions, but they were only suspicions with _no proof_.

_I know there are at least one stone nin and a sand nin in their midst…but that's all I know. _But even if those two were part of Akatsuki, neither would have favored such jutsu because stone and sand weren't particularly fond of Lightning Element to begin with – Jiraiya knew this as a veteran ninja who survived the Great Shinobi War.

Besides, he hadn't heard from Akatsuki for over a _year._ _I can probably rule out him being kidnapped, since hardly anyone knows that we're even here, forget kidnapping him. _Yes, it was probably safe to assume that the boy had fled instead, against whatever threat that had appeared here thus. _The question is, who could pose such grave threat enough that even Naruto would flee, without even touching the scroll I gave him? _Then a small part of his mind questioned, _maybe he _couldn't_ get to the scroll…_ Jiraiya rubbed his temple at that. This whole thing wasn't making any sense at all!

Jiraiya considered pondering over the mystery, but he shrugged nonchalantly soon after. There was the other matter that occupied his concern, such as the million yen question…!

_Not how, but _where_ is the cursed boy!_

Jiraiya kicked a stray stone out of frustration, as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. At times like these, Jiraiya cursed himself for teaching the flamboyant boy the art of Stealth. _He would be so much easier to find if I hadn't... _Who would have known that such a loud boy can be silent as the death when he wanted to be? It was simply astounding, that boy – his stealth was almost to the point even Jiraiya would have sworn that the boy had disappeared into the thin air. _Hold on… into the thin air?_

His brows furrowed, as if he had realized something.

The next second, Jiraiya shrugged. _He always _did_ like to jump around. _The best way to conceal one's tracks was to not give any chance for any tracks to appear in the first place, Jiraiya had always told the boy. To jump as far as one can towards the general direction of one's destination, soaring through the air to cover maximum distance before one made contact with the ground – that was the method of the Frogs. It was standard procedure during retreats, especially if the pursued had already gained some grounds from the pursuers.

_Perhaps this is not so different – I could probably follow him,_ he thought as his awareness expanded into the night, trying to lock onto his apprentice's chakra signature. _But then I'd have to get a lock on his chakra signature first! _Jiraiya grumbled, unsatisfied with the result of his search. _Hm, surely _someone_ must have seen him flee._ If you want to know something, then go to the source of the problem - in this case, the victim of this unfortunate disaster.

_Maybe the inn keeper knows of his whereabouts. _

His red jacket swirling majestically in the night wind, the old hermit set out to find the Iwagaki Inn Keeper.

------------------------------------------------

_Where are we going?_

The question nagged at a ruffled Skuld from the back of her mind, as she was taken by the waist to who-knows-where. Naruto had not stopped since he had set off from the roof, and he didn't seem like he was going to stop running for a while. The teen had jumped into the neighboring forest without hesitation, moving across the tree tops at blurring speeds. Skuld was mildly surprised that the humans in this era were capable of such things. They were so much physically advanced than the last human generation she'd seen, and Skuld supposed this was a welcomed change. The only thing she was about to object in this situation was the fact that Naruto was hauling her over his shoulders like a sac of potatoes, his arm unrelenting regardless of how much Skuld squirmed to become free. Despite the fact that the goddess wasn't particularly uncomfortable on his shoulders, she preferred to be on her feet. So to vent her discomfort, Skuld smacked the blond boy constantly as the boy completely ignored the goddess and continued his escapade.

Unsurprisingly, that pissed her off even more.

Skuld sighed for the umpteenth time, almost at the point of giving up and enjoying the strange ride while it lasted. She had to admit, the wind did feel quite pleasant against her cheeks, as the cool night air tingling at her senses. She briefly wondered if she had bruised the boy with her constant violence, but her thought turned 360 degrees just as briefly afterwards. _Hmph, he deserved every single hit. _Her actions were clearly justified in her mind – it was _he_ who lugged her around without her permission! On top of that, he was treating her like a luggage – and that was simply _a no-no. _She was no luggage! She was a goddess for crying out loud. _He could have been more gentlemanly, _she grumbled. Skuld scoffed lightly, folding her arms across her chest as she spared a glance at her captor.

Eyes focused and staring straight ahead, Naruto was completely absorbed into what he was doing, which consisted of moving swiftly among the branches and being careful not to leave any vestige of his presence among the tree tops. As he did so, Skuld couldn't help but to notice that his deep blue eyes now shone platinum in the pallid moon light, as did his blond hair. Averting her gaze towards the forest, Skuld noted that the entire forest held a surreal atmosphere, gorgeous and mysterious at the same time. And in the midst of this almost sacred forest, were Naruto and Skuld, sprinting away towards the moon. _If the situation had bit a bit more lax, this would have been almost romantic_, she mused. Skuld blinked, suddenly aware of where her thoughts were heading. She shook her head fervently, ridding herself of the thoughts plaguing her. _Oh great, am I blushing? This is great, just great… _She sighed heavily, silently watching her steamy breath disperse in the night air. _Oh well, he won't be a bore at least, _Skuld said to herself. After all, he had proven himself to be more than entertaining. _But he's annoying… _she thought a bit dismayed.

Meanwhile, the boy in question was oblivious to her thoughts as he was focused on more important things – like figuring where the hell he was going! _Well, I guess it was pretty stupid of me to just start running,_ Naruto grudgingly admitted to himself as he focused on gathering chakra to his feet, willing himself to jump far across the great distances across the tree tops.

Naruto had not been exactly thinking when he had grabbed his new acquaintance and jumped out of the scene – all he had in his mind was '_get lost before getting caught or you'll be blamed for everything!' _In short he panicked, and was now lost in the middle of a forest. _I'll stop by the first clearing I see, _he decided, absently jumping over another branch that tried to trip him.

"Hey, uhh… Naruto?" Naruto almost tripped at her voice, as he had literally forgotten that he even had a girl on his shoulders. "Yeah, what is it?" Naruto smoothly replied, as he concentrated his chakra towards his pupils to gain greater range of sight. It was a simple yet useful skill, which made the user extremely far-sighted for a while, allowing the user to see objects lying far away, not unlike binoculars. The only downside of this technique was that when performing, the user was rendered extremely far-sighted, only able to see blurs for 40 feet range around the user, restricting this technique to be used only for reconnaissance missions. _Well, that's not the _only _downside…_

This was _the_ skill most favored by the Frog Sannin. _Disgusting._

"Well, about that lightning…" Skuld began, hesitantly, but she trailed off soon after with a hint of uncertainty filling in the silence for her. Naruto grimaced - he just_ knew_ that the whole _episode with thunder_ had everything to do with the girl on his shoulders. _Just great, _he thought dismayed."Don't tell me _you_ caused it?" Naruto's slightly accusatory tone had Skuld stammering defensively, before she slowly explained herself. "It wasn't me at all! …Well, kind of. I didn't do it, but you could say that it happened because of me." At the almost comically contradictory answer, the only reply Skuld got was a quizzical scrunch of his nose and a raise of an eyebrow. Naruto couldn't help grimace as a wave of headache hit him full force; this girl was sure confusing – she says she didn't do the whole lightning show, and yet it happened _because_ of her?

_What's the difference?_ There was no difference in his mind.

Skuld fought down a sigh – this wasn't going anywhere. She opened her mouth to enlighten the blond, but was neatly cut off as Naruto pointed at a peaceful looking clearing not too far ahead, conveniently placed by a fairly large lake. "There, that's where we'll stop," Naruto's voice was laced with fatigue, but he had managed to speak. Skuld made a small noise of agreement before she averted her gaze once again to the skies. This time, she could not stop a tired sigh from escaping her lungs, venting a small amount of her tired emotions in the crisp breath.

_This is going to be a one long probation._

------------------------------------------------

Jiraiya found himself cursing as he jumped across the buildings, his long white mane flowing wildly as he moved against the night wind.

_I must have missed him by a few minutes, _his frustrated mind grumbled. Jiraiya had indeed found the Inn Keeper returning from what had been a rather passionate chase, accompanied by some of the Iwagaki police and mostly Iwagaki inn mates. They had gone on a wild goose chase, with their jaws going slack as they witnessed the boy and his _accomplice _jump their way through the night like crazy little kids on a 'pimped-up' pogo stick. Jiraiya heard the man swore that the boy had wings. _That's Naruto alright,_ he had decided right there and then.

When questioned, the Inn Keeper vented out his frustrations on the poor hermit and ranted on top of his lungs for approximately 15 minutes about how it was the end of the world and how the boy will get his due someday. Needless to say, Jiraiya had been quite annoyed – but he was satisfied nonetheless that he had gotten information on the whereabouts of his precious apprentice. _So he's headed to the forest, is he? Good boy… so I _did_ teach something into that thick skull of his._ If this was any other moment, Jiraiya would have jumped up and down in joy that his _idiot_ _apprentice_ had finally learned something useful – but Jiraiya restrained himself just for a figurative pat in the back. He suddenly had the urge to go and buy himself a memorial gift for his monumental achievement. _Nahh, I'll save it 'till later._

Now he stood at the edge of the forest, his coal black eyes regarding the forest. _Some townsfolk said this place was enchanted…_ Jiraiya mused as he rubbed his chin habitually, his critical mind trying to see if he could remember any folklore regarding this forest. _Something about a hundred-year old snake preying on the unfortunate vagabonds… Most likely this is just superstitious wives' tale, and the aura of the forest seems normal enough as well. _Ruffling his hair in annoyance, Jiraiya couldn't help but to grumble about how there seemed to be _snakes_ everywhere he went.

_It must be karma,_ Jiraiya nodded.

Jiraiya gathered chakra into his legs, getting ready to jump across the tree-tops. If he knew his apprentice as well as he thought, then the boy would have taken off by the tree tops – after all, leaves weren't prone to breaking as branches were. _Here goes nothing,_ Jiraiya breathed.

And off he went.

------------------------------------------------

The moon was high in the sky now, post-rainy sky clear as ever. The small field was still wet despite the fact that rain had stopped a while ago. The lake reflected the ethereal shine of the heavens, glistening with unblemished purity. Faint yet distinguishable mist surrounded the grassy field in a veil of mystery, shining stars illuminating the night sky just above the arriving couple's heads. Anyone with enough sense of beauty would have marveled at the captivating atmosphere, which was alluring and inviting to all who dared to lay sight upon the mysterious plane of mystery. All in all, the entire field was a page straight out of the book of perfection, right down to the minute details.

Naruto and Skuld couldn't have cared less.

The pair had been in no mood to enjoy _anything,_ let alone try to capture the value of the special place they had stumbled upon. With his entire body sore, Naruto was not a happy camper – and neither was Skuld, who did _not_ approve of being carried around like a luggage. But for the time being, both had swallowed their miseries and pain though they were _far_ from the old Forgive and Forget routine.

Naruto almost cursed when he landed on the muddy ground, as his taxed legs almost gave out under the combined weight of his companion and himself. _That's gonna hurt in the morning, _he painfully noted. Deciding he did not need any more extra weight, Naruto carefully let the goddess slid down from his shoulders and onto the moisturized grass. He was certainly _not _expecting a swift kick to his shin - a _hard _kick, might I add. Naruto would have sworn his brain out if only he hadn't fell face first on the grass, rendering him mute for the moment.

Skuld smirked slightly at the sight, now feeling marginally better. _Humph._

Naruto finally got up from his pitiful fall, his entire face covered in mud and none too happy. "Geez, what the hell was that for? I'm in enough pain already!" He snapped at her, his pain tolerance finally cracking under the cumulative torture he had gathered throughout the entire day. _Getting my ass owned in training is one thing, but I can't let this _onna_ bitch rough me around! _His male ego roared in outrage, all too eager to put this strange girl in her place. He was already pushed to his limits – ever since the girl had dared to splash him in the face! _Unbelievable._ On top of that, she had smacked him on the head the entire way here! _Unacceptable!_

Yes, this strange woman needed to be taught a painful lesson.

When the goddess snorted at his apparent anger, it was all Naruto could take. _You're asking for it, _he thought with bestial anger rushing in his veins. Teeth gritted in blind anger, Naruto's body itched to drive this woman into the ground, to make her understand that _nobody _messed with an Uzumaki. _She's gone too far this time, _he told himself as his eyes flashed with determination, ready to take down this infuriating foe._ I'm Uzumaki Naruto! You just don't kick an Uzumaki!_ At least that much was true. Even in training, when Jiraiya raised the bar to the next level, Naruto responded with equal viciousness and wrath. Although the Sannin always kicked his ass around like he was a toy, the important part was that Uzumaki Naruto _never_ gets kicked around without a fight!

In a blur, he tackled the goddess to the muddy ground, and all hell broke loose.

Skuld had not expected such violent response from the teen in the least. She'd thought he'd only fume for a minute or two, but instead this little blond urchin had dared to tackle her to the ground! _He dares to challenge me? _She was startled to her core that a human would challenge her, a _goddess,_ to a physical contest, and yet she fought back with vigor without a single question. It was just natural – they rolled around in the wet grass, not caring slightest that their clothes were getting muddy or that they were now soaked from the nearby puddles.

What mattered was _victory_.

They both fought for complete dominance, trying to gain the upper hand. Though Naruto was a few inches shorter, Skuld found herself having a very difficult time gaining an advantage. _He's strong, _Skuld realized. She knew that she wasn't strongest of the heavenly goddesses, but she knew she wasn't the weakest either – in pure arm strength, of course. She'd gotten plenty of exercise from moving gigantic equipments all by herself, unintentionally gaining some impressive muscles in the process.

So why wasn't she winning?

Skuld felt herself slowly losing, as her grip weakened by the second. _N-no! _She desperately held on, set on winning this little tussle. Despite her efforts, the next thing she knew was the midnight sky with her arms pinned down by the blond teen, whose face grinned brightly in triumphant victory.

"I win," he proudly stated, expecting and waiting for that sour expression he witnessed in all of his past defeated foes; the expression that screamed out "_you are the strongest_." But once again, what he got wasn't what he had expected at all. Skuld wasn't like his past defeated foes, not at all.

Skuld, despite her loss in this little game of power play, smirked wickedly as if she knew something he didn't. _He doesn't realize what kind of compromising situation he's put himself in, doesn't he. _She couldn't help but to feel a slight blush creep up her neck even as she smirked, fully understanding their current predicament. Seeing the teen's victorious grin fade into a confused half smirk, Skuld decided to enlighten the boy.

With an amused sigh, Skuld whispered hoarsely in a tone that sent frigid chills down the teen's back. "Naruto, please be gentle."

The blunt old phrase over-used in cheesy lemon stories seemed to have no effect on the blond at all – he just blinked quizzically, as his eyes seemed to say '_what are you talking about?' _Skuld couldn't help but to laugh softly at his inquisitive stare – he was just so innocent. _Maybe being stuck with him won't be so bad after all. _Her smirk grew deeper in mirth, as if to goad the teen into an invisible trap. _C'mon, figure it out Naruto. I'm waiting… _Then there she saw it – the sudden change in his expression, as if he'd been caught red handed robbing the cookie jar.

It was priceless.

Naruto's eyes widened as he understood what the young goddess had been smirking about. _T-this…_ His arms pinning her arms, rendering them immobile; his knees pinning down her torso, also killing her mobility; it was the perfect portrait of complete dominance over another. _Dominance, as in "about to do _it_" kind of dominance… _Naruto's mind whirled at the mere thought, dizziness hitting his head like a relentless hailstorm as blood rushed to his head. But that wasn't the worst of it – the worst was that his face was only an inch away from her own, their noses almost touching. _She's beautiful, _he couldn't help but to realize, _the kind of beautiful that makes me want to… (K-I-S-S)_ Naruto blushed heavily, the gravity of the situation finally sinking into his head.

_Oh shit!_

"Wahh! I'm sorry!" He shouted, as he hastily tried to rid himself of the embarrassing situation which would most likely get him killed in the few next few moments. _I don't want to die! _His desperate thoughts wailed pitifully, as he tried to stand up with all his might. Note: emphasis on _tried – _he did not succeed. In fact, he found his head lowering closer and closer to the goddess' own, their noses now touching. Naruto shivered as he noticed her beautiful orange-brown eyes glistening against the moonlight, and then suddenly found himself being sucked into the depthless orbs. _Wha-what's going on here! _He wondered if this was all just a strange dream, a dream in which he'd wake up as if nothing had happened – but despite all his desperate wishes, he found his lips only mere millimeters away from her rose red lips. _Th-this can't be happening!_

Then all of a sudden, Naruto felt a rush of wind, and then found his eyes gazing up at the stars.

"Huh?" Naruto managed croak out pathetically, his eyes once again swimming in the sea of confusion. The first thing he noticed was that his arms were pinned to the sides, and the next thing he noticed was he wasn't the one on the top anymore. _T-that conniving little… _Naruto couldn't help but to internally swear.The sparkling eyes of amusement gazed down upon him almost fondly, contrasting victorious grin forming on Skuld's face as if to reveal her mixed feelings. Her long, silky hair fell from her head as she leaned down on him, her smooth hair teasing at his cheeks. In a funny reversal of role, Naruto now stared up helplessly at the victorious eyes, beautiful and mesmerizing yet taunting all the same. "Slight correction – _I _win."

------------------------------------------------

It hadn't been long since the Gama-sennin had picked up the faint trace of his baka apprentice's chakra signature, off to the near center of the forest. Jiraiya had grinned in satisfaction, his eyes narrowing as he imagined having a little 'talk' about what the boy had done to the devastated inn. _He'd better have a damn good excuse if he wants to see the light of the day, _he grumbled.

Jiraiya certainly did not want to pay for all the damage, after all. He'd rather bake and eat his own Icha Icha Paradise before he'd pay the inn keeper for all the damages. After all, it wasn't _his_ fault the part of the inn was in shambles. _Everything's that idiot apprentice's fault,_ he couldn't help but to accuse, _I bet he can't pay off everything as usual. I'd like to see him scrubbing floors for the rest of his life! _Jiraiya did his little evil cackles in his head, a strange perversion of Orochimaru's own laughter. But then again, Jiraiya had to kill the part of his little conscience when it accused Jiraiya of stealing the boy's money in the first place.

In any case, Jiraiya had to find the boy before he could accuse anyone of anything.

_I'm getting close, _he sensed the boy not even a mile away from his position, and then he found that the boy wasn't moving from his position. _Why is he stationary? Didn't I tell him to be on the move at all times! _Jiraiya didn't know whether to be angry or be thankful that the boy decided to take a rest there, since he made things quite easy for the sennin if the boy decided to stay still. _That idiot…_

Then before he knew it, Jiraiya was standing on the edge of a beautiful field, each blade of grass glinting bewitchingly against the lavender moonlight. Jiraiya felt his eyes widening as he took in the breathless sight, his appreciation for beauty surfacing from beneath all that was perverted from within his mind. _T-this place… its incredible! I should buy some squid-on-a-stick for that idiot later just for finding such a scene. _He laughed perversely, ideas for his next Icha Icha Paradise already rolling into his brain like an avalanche. _Kyahahah! Ken can do _this_ and _that_ to lead Himiko here, and then they can do _this_ and ohhh do _THIS_ when they get here- wait, what the hell is that? _He saw a lump of _something_ among the tall grasses, and then squinted his eyes in effort to see what was blemishing the perfect scenery.

Then he saw them.

Jiraiya did a double-take from his perverted mode, his eyes not believing what he was seeing. Just to make sure he wasn't seeing things, he focused his chakra into his eyes to achieve crystal-clear vision. Even then, he blinked rapidly in record time to rid himself of false images. _Naruto…? And is that a _girl_ on top of him? _Jiraiya couldn't believe his eyes – his self-proclaimed _not-a-pervert-like-you _apprentice was actually doing _it! _And so out in the open nonetheless! _And he found such a beautiful place to do _it_ too… I guess I didn't give him the credit he deserves, that sly fox. _The old hermit chuckled at that. All this time the boy had claimed that he only liked his Sakura-chan back home, whenever Jiraiya entered the Red-Light district. And every single time, Jiraiya had scrunched up his face in distaste and then forcibly dragged the boy into one of the brothels, only to have them both kicked out for bad behavior. _But things are different this time, eh boy?_

Still… _He's been holding that torch for that pinky for as far as I can remember… What the hell happened while I was gone?_ Jiraiya obviously underestimated what could actually _happen_ in a span of a day. For a good measure, he rubbed at his eyes almost violently, and then tried once more. _Maybe I really am going senile, and maybe I'm just seeing things. Maybe this place is really enchanted after all._

They were still there, with the girl on top of Naruto. _Or maybe I _am_ seeing what I'm seeing._

Seeing that the scandalous scene hadn't gone anywhere when he had looked, Jiraiya couldn't help but to darkly chuckle in a very-Orochimaru-like manner when the underlying implications sank into his perverted mind. _Ku-kukuku… Naruto-_chan,_ you've been a naughty boy behind my back have you? Now is the time to get back at you for all the times you've busted my hide from the hot springs! _Jiraiya gritted his teeth at the painful memory, the punches and kicks still fresh in his mind. _I _still_ have bruises from them women… but now the tables have turned. Ohhh think of all the possibilities!_ If Naruto had the ability to read the Sannin's mind, he would have wished he were never born.

Jiraiya couldn't stop smirking as he vainly tried to subdue his urge to throw a megalomaniacal fit, and had to resort to punching himself senselessly in the gut numerous times enough to make him spit out blood.

Jiraiya couldn't let this once-in-a-life-time chance get away from him because of his childish glee, and he was going to make sure that _every single ounce_ of this little fiasco was put to good use.

_Oh yes, things are _quite_ different this time around, baka apprentice._

_  
_Then suddenly, an energy spike of evil presense not even half a mile away from his current position captured his attention. _What could that be...? That felt... evil. _Whatever that may had been, the energy subsided just as suddenly as it had appeared - and yet now there was a lingering trace of malevolence in the forest that wasn't present before. _This... can't be good._ The only thing close to describing what Jiraiya had just felt could have been summed up into two simple words.

_ True evil.  
_

------------------------------------------------

Naruto thought he had heard something at the edge of the clearing, yet he promptly ignored it as the passing wind. He had more pressing concerns to deal with.

Like this strange_ onna_ who pinned him down as if she owned him.

"Get off me," he commanded. As expected, she did not obey; instead she shook her head defiantly, and leaned down even closer to his face. "Why should I," she spoke back in return, her voice low and hoarse yet still somehow maintaining her almost melodious voice. Their eyes were only a mere inch away, and their lips were even closer – and Naruto was painfully aware of this fact. _She's trying to seduce me, I know it! _His rational side knew this very well, yet the rest of his mind wasn't taking this so well. One pitiful fact of life was this: Naruto had never been good with girls, let alone had he ever been this _close_ to a girl. It was sad, yet true; Naruto was quite aware of that, and he reasoned that that's probably why he couldn't stop blushing right now.

"B-Because… I said so, that's why." Naruto finished lamely, his brain failing him in moments which he considered "the most crucial". He kicked himself mentally, cursing his brain for being so stupid _now _of all the times. The goddess smirked at his ire, but all Naruto could see were the small twitch of her cheeks; that's how close they were, close enough to see only their eyes. She leaned down a little closer, and their noses finally touched. She simply said, "No."

Her warm breath teased his senses, and he felt himself feeling lightheaded. _Her breath smells like… water. Refreshing mountain waterfalls, _he thought amidst the sleepy haze that intruded upon his mind.Naruto had no idea why he'd recall that memory of that time when he and his perverted sensei had gone up to the Mount _Myouboku, _the mountain of the Great Frogs. They had trained there for a few months, focusing on the waterfall especially. _Yeah… she smells just like that place – cool and refreshing…_

Then all of a sudden, she pulled back and gazed down on him once more. Naruto breathed out heavily in relief, yet he found himself missing the close proximity they had shared only moments ago. _Man, that frog hermit is really rubbing off on me huh. When did I become such a pervert? _

Skuld suddenly laughed out loud, and then rolled down next to him – she was still laughing when she lay down side by side on the grass. She wiped at her eyes, and then spoke to one confused Uzumaki. "You aren't such a pervert Naruto." Then it dawned upon Naruto that she had read his thoughts once again.

"Stop doing that. That's invasion of privacy!" He heatedly exclaimed, yet his tone had lost the edge he held against her back at the Iwagaki Inn; now there was only… fondness. "Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help but to hear a thought so boldly projected, you know?" She giggled, yet still had the decency to blush embarrassedly. "I really am sorry."

Naruto sighed, his mind confused and tired from the wacky day he had. "It's alright… just don't do that again, ok?" Another giggle visited his ear.

"Okay, but I'll do so on one condition."

He frowned at that. _A condition?_ "What?" He turned his head to face her, but she was staring at the stars instead. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The heavenly constellations never cease to amaze me… Kami-sama is really great to be able to create such wonders." She turned her head towards his, who wasn't watching the stars at all. "Wouldn't you say so?"

Naruto decided to let by her obvious change in topic, and decided to humor her. "I still don't believe that you are a goddess or that you came from heaven, just so you know." Naruto unconsciously rubbed at his belly, his fingers running over the Yondaime's Seal which held the monstrous being at bay. He just couldn't accept that if there was a god, why would he curse him with such a burden? "Gods or goddesses just don't seem… real to me." If she was offended, Skuld did not show it – rather, she reached down and gently grasped his hand. Naruto looked up in surprise, and was met with eyes filled with emotions unfamiliar to him. _Did she read my thoughts again?_

"The Kyuubi is an independent being, Naruto. It was created by neither Heaven nor Hell, and it isn't bound by space, time, or even _fate. _Do you understand that?" Skuld's explanation didn't seem to make sense to him, yet Naruto really wasn't in the mood to talk about the bane of his existence so he tiredly nodded. "So you're saying that it wasn't you Heaven people's fault, is that it?" Skuld winced at his accusing tone, but couldn't deny it. "Naruto…"

He turned away from her, and stared off into space. "I've already came to my terms with the furball, and _he_ came to terms with me. We both hate each other, but we have to lead a… what's that word again?" Skuld smiled lightly at his lack of vocabulary, but Naruto couldn't see it. "Symbiotic is the word you're looking for, Naruto." He just scoffed at her smug tone, yet continued nonetheless. "Yeah, whatever. The furball and I have to lead that kind of life because if we don't, we'll die. So we've came to terms with each other, though I still wish the fox would just die. Arg, what am I saying?" Naruto pulled at his hair, frustrated that he couldn't articulate what he really wanted to say.

"Why am I even sharing this with you? I've never even shared this with the Obaa-Chan or the pervert! Are you putting me under some kind of spell?" Naruto chanced a glance suspiciously at the exotic woman, and saw her shake her head fervently. "I would never do something like that," she spoke firmly. And that was all it took Naruto to believe her.

"Anyway… what I'm saying is that I don't believe in fate, destiny, or any kind of crap like that." Naruto held up a hand at the stars, his hand clenched into a fist and his eyes shining brilliantly. "My life is my own, even though the furball is inside me."

Skuld felt admiration rise from deep within her, and then realized that the blond held a rare spirit inside of him – a fiery spirit that will not yield even in the dire of situations. _A praiseworthy soul, _she couldn't help but note. She smiled, and then looked up at the stars as well. "I never said we control your fate."

Naruto turned quizzical eyes at her. "What?" Skuld smiled in response, and closed her eyes. "Everyone has choices they make – and each choices dictate consequences they must face later on in their life. I'll tell you that some things in life are fated to be, but ultimately people's lives are their own. There is no 'set' course, so to say." Naruto seemed to alight at that, and mirrored her smile. "Yeah…"

The couple laid there, both star gazing and relaxed. The night was now well into the early mornings, and the moon had almost already completed its daily trip across the horizon. They still had quite a while until sunrise, and despite the fact both had a tiring day neither felt tired enough to fall asleep. Naruto chalked that up to his infinite stamina, while Skuld just shrugged and thought no more of it. Then something clicked in her mind.

"Oh yeah, Naruto… I still have a wish to grant." Skuld began, and sat up from her comfortable grass bed. Naruto lazily opened an eye, regarding her with something akin to annoyance. "A wish to grant?" Skuld sighed as he echoed her words. "Yes, specifically _your_ wish. Believe it or not, I _am_ here for a reason you know." Skuld then was reminded of her probation, and grimaced. _Ah, so _that's_ what I forgot. _"Oh yeah, and there's one more _tiny _thing I forgot to mention."

"And that would be...?" Naruto drawled on, his half lidded eyes slowly closing.

"Uh, I'll be staying with you from now on, whether or not you make a wish or not Naruto." _There, I said it. _She had bluntly dumped it on him, and all that was left to do was to sit back and watch the show.

"Excuse me?" Naruto disbelievingly replied, sitting up on his grass bed as well. "Did you say what I think you said?" Skuld rubbed at her temples, already regretting her decision to throw out the news in the open. "You heard me," she tiredly replied. "I'm stuck with you."

Naruto's cry of surprise was drowned out as a loud crash resounded throughout the forest, breaking the spell of tranquility. "What was that?" Naruto stood up in alarm, his eyes flashing in the moonlight. Skuld remained sitting, but she was far away from doing nothing – she was reaching out with her senses, questioning the spirits or nature on what was going down.

She gasped in surprise as a helpful tree wisp whispered its answer to the goddess. Skuld cried out, "It's a demon!" Naruto turned to look at her as if to say '_seriously?'_, but another loud crash from not fifty-feet away from them successfully captured their attention.

The fading smoke revealed the Frog Sennin in all of his glory, standing on top of his combat-frog who was crouched with a katana held in his hand.

"Ero-Sennin? What are _you_ doing here!" Naruto cried out in disbelief, but Jiraiya didn't even turn to look at him. "Shut up baka, or else you'll attract its attention." Jiraiya's serious tone made Naruto jump; that kind of tone was reserved for Orochimaru and Itachi alike. His sensei wasn't done yet though. "Take the girl and run, now. Run back to Iwagaki and warn the villagers to flee immediately, got it?"

"What are you talking about sensei? Run from what?" Naruto's question was met with a harsh bark from Jiraiya, who was running his hands through complex set of seals. "Don't question me, you idiot! Just go! Every second counts!"

Naruto knew better than to pursue his question when Jiraiya was like this, so he yelled out an affirmative and grabbed the goddess who remained silent in the entire exchange. "We gotta go, lady." Naruto did not wait for an answer, and he pulled her into his arms and gathered his remaining chakra into his legs. But just as he was about to run, he was met with the most grotesque sight he had ever met.

"**_I Sssee you…"_**

A hissing voice spoke from the other side of the clearing, a gargantuan shadow foretelling of its presence. When it had finally emerged from the shadows, Naruto could not look away from the creature. Its hideous body was covered in yellow snake-like scales and extended all the way towards its tail, yet the entire form was surprisingly humanoid. It had no legs to be seen – but instead it stood upright on its dangerous looking tail, which possessed wicked looking blades along the center of the tail. The creature also possessed a broad shoulder with two vicious looking arms attached to it just like a man, but one distinguishing feature was the large single geometric tattoo running down both of its arms, covering its entire axial skeleton in arcane symbols. But the most horrifying of all was its head.

The head of the creature was mostly covered in a plain white mask with four curled eye holes as well as a thin line for a mouth; over all, the mask was unemotional and unfeeling. Yet, everyone present could clearly feel the malice behind the mask, as well as the four sickly green orbs behind each of the eye holes.

Mark of the demon lay innocently on the mask's forehead, but Skuld was the only one who knew of its significance.

The demon spoke, its hissing voice carried by unpleasant winds. **_"I require the girlll… the girlll onllly… I will ssspare you allll… if you yield to my requessst…" _**The demon whipped its tail across a tree for a good measure, neatly splitting it in half. **_"What sssay you…?"_**

Before Naruto could break out of his stupor, Skuld bravely marched right to the front line of the battle. She ignored the sputtering Jiraiya, who was asking her if she was mentally challenged. "Demon from the 6th level of Hell, why have you come here for me? You do realize that if you take me then you'll be breeching the Ceasefire Agreement of Heaven and Hell, don't you?" Though she was speaking to avoid a confrontation, Skuld drew a Battle Seal on the ground with her magic, spreading out from Skuld as the center.

"**_I am not here under personal motivesss… I came here under the will of Hild-sama's orders. Her ordersss are _law._" _**The demon started to slither its way across the field, its eyes glowing unholy green. **_"You _will _come with me, girlll. You may become technical all you want in front of _her_ presence."_**

Skuld decided now was good as time as any to activate her Battle Seal, so she gathered her hands in front of her and chanted magical Words of Power. "_I ask thee who controls the thunder, **Incinerate my foe!**"_ As soon as her chant came to an end, energy of unimaginable magnitude gathered above the sky – then came crashing down upon the unfortunate demon that was still making its way towards the goddess.

Jiraiya and Naruto couldn't help but to watch in awe as the seemingly unstoppable force crashed into the demon, causing the entire plane to shake with sheer amount of energy used in the spell. '_H-how'd she do that? I knew it! She WAS responsible for that lightning!'_ Naruto gaped in awe, but all he could think now was how everything that had happened in the inn was all HER fault, not his. Meanwhile, Jiraiya and the frog had to jump back quite a distance to get out of the blast radius, and Jiraiya was surprised out of his mind to say the least. '_What incredible power…'_

"I knew it! It _was_ your fault after all!" Naruto exclaimed loudly as he walked over to the huffing form of goddess, who was on her knees after using such an attack. _Drawing that Battle Seal with magic took a lot out of me, and the spell took out even more of my power. _Skuld shuddered to think what would happen to her if the demon had actually died, but she also didn't want to think about what would become of her if the demon had actually _lived _through her spell_. Either way, it's not going to be pretty._

"I told you, I didn't do that Naruto." Skuld replied, answering an insistent Naruto who repeated his statement over and over like a broken tape recorder. Despite her claims, Naruto seemed to be set on his conclusion. "But you just did that whole lightning show thing! That was amazing, by the way. What kind of jutsu was that? I've never seen something so powerful…" Skuld sighed at his enthusiastic babble, but froze when she heard soft chuckles emanating from the smoky ruin where the demon stood once.

"**_Hild-sama did say that you may put up a resssistance… I must thank her for imbuing my being with a Anti-Magic Program." _**The snake-like demon slithered out of the crater completely unharmed, and this time it held out a clawed hand towards her. **_"You will not essscape… give yourself up and spare the livesss of these humansss…" _**Its hand started to draw a seal in the midair, violet light tracing the complex geometric path of its hand. **_"…or will you resssist and doom yourself and the insectsss to eternal doom? The choice is yoursss…" _**The demon's hand then completed the seal with an audible _click, _and then the Seal of Destruction was complete.

Skuld saw this, and knew there was no escape for any of them. She was currently on probation, which literally meant that she was completely cut off from the Yggdrasil save for vital energy supply – which meant that she was alone in this entire affair. She also knew that if she came willingly to the demon, then the demon will uphold its word and will indeed spare the humans – she knew this because this demon had proclaimed itself as a messenger of Hild, and they knew how to keep their word. _It seems I have no choice in the matter…_

Her face lowered in shame, and she spoke in a defeated voice, "You will give me your word that you'll spare them if I come willingly?"

The demon nodded solemnly, and then beckoned her with his other hand which was free of maintaining the Seal of Destruction. "**_Come."_** And Skuld stepped forward, fully intending to comply with the demon's wishes. She chanced a glance back at the old man behind her, and flashed a sad smile at the human she had only known for little over a minute. The Frog Hermit's face was grim, yet confusion was still dominating his presence – he obviously had no idea what he had almost gotten himself into. _It is to be expected of mortals, _Skuld justified.

Then she turned towards her blond companion, only to find that he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

"She's not going anywhere, fish-scales." Naruto stood protectively in front of the goddess, taking on a fighting stance. Skuld's eyes widened at his brave front (or was it stupidity? She decided it was the latter), and then wanted to choke the urchin head to death. "You _idiot! _What are you doing?" His reply was a simple, "I'm saving you _onna,_" with a quick nod towards her. Skuld wanted to rip her hair out right there and then.

"Are you a complete moron? You can't win! This is one of the highest ranking demons from the 6th level of Hell! You can't possibly even scratch it." Skuld told the boy, and then turned to the demon. "Ignore him; I will be going with you willingly. Spare the boy." She made move to get to the demon, but another Naruto appeared from behind her and restrained her. Naruto hadn't performed any seals, but by now he was comfortable with the technique enough to create a single kage bunshin without any seals. _It takes a damn lot outta my chakra reserves though… and I'm already running low. I might need the fox in this one. _A subtle nudge at his subconscious was met with an annoyed grumble, which usually meant that the fox was ready to brawl. Naruto grinned in response, adrenaline already rushing within his veins.

_Heh, this is getting interesting._

"Let me go, you moron! You don't know what you're doing!" Skuld struggled to be free, but the clone was without mercy and without lenience. Naruto looked back at her, then shook his head firmly. "I told you, you're not going anywhere. This fish-scale bastard is going to learn a painful lesson on how to treat a lady!" Naruto boisterously exclaimed, as he performed his favorite seal. "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"** Forty Naruto clones responded to the outburst by manifesting themselves onto the plane of existence, every single one of them wearing a shit-eating grin reserved only for fierce battles. "You're going down, fish-scales."

Surprisingly, the demon hadn't moved an inch from its spot. Instead, it was chuckling softly. **_"Kukuku… I like you human… you have gutsss, I'll give you that. But gutsss alone will not sssave you from certain doom, I'm afraid. And for reference sssake, I am a sssnake by nature." _**It hissed once more for good measure, and then powered up his Seal of Destruction which in response glowed brighter by the moment in eerie violet light. **_"I am called by the name of Gaidoku Enshokuhebi, one of the nine snakes of the underworld. You'll do well to remember that in afterlife, insssect. _**

"**_Now be gone."_**

****

------------------------------------------------

Aaaaand CUT! Whew, that was crazy. It's a week before SATs and here I am writing this chapter. Good game, hahah.

Yes, this chapter is WAYY over due, but forgive me. School is an evil thing.

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter because I certainly enjoyed writing it. Heh, I had a different scene in mind near the end but the story somehow wrote itself differently than I had originally intended… ah well, I'm satisfied either way.

By the way, Gaidoku Enshouhebi means Harmful Orange Snake.

And... onna means a girl in kind of a degrading way. Not enough to be a swear word, but yeah.

Next Chapter: Naruto faces the Gaidoku Enshokuhebi, a formidable opponent literally from hell! Will Jiraiya just stand back and watch his student battle one of the most powerful opponents ever to be faced by mortal beings? And what will become of Skuld?


End file.
